The Doctor

The voice was nondescript yet childish, so I turned around, to face a young girl with a curious look on her face. She was one of the new humans; I remembered I had hugged her in the aftermath of all that good medicine. I felt a thrill, there she was and all because of me. Yes – I must sound vain but come on, I deserved the bragging rights. Rose didn't know who the girl was though, awing to Cassandra having had active control of her body at the time.

"Oh, Sweet heart, no – I'm not angry – far from it," I bent my head because she was shorter. "- Just fixing something that needs fixing!"

"Fix?" She cocked her head. She was wearing a pink knee length skirt and a black tank top and some one came and took her by her hand. They steered her away.

Brea

I saw him, the man who saved us, the doctor. He was back and he was talking to the Miss at reception at welfare. I was there with my guardian, a kindly woman who volunteered to keep me for a while. She called me things like love and dear but she never named me, and she had until tomorrow to submit a name or else my official name would be five letters and numbers. I didn't like that idea. Everyone who weren't new had names like Susan and Rodney and Celia. I wanted a name like that too.

The doctor was mad and his voice was high and his face didn't have that big beautiful smile on it. So I asked if he was in just one word - I had the habit of making questions out of single words. It was easier than making big complicated sentences. He smiled and told me he was just fixing a problem. It was then that my nice lady came to pull me away. I shoved her and ran back and clung to the doctor. She came back to pry me off and apologized repetitively, "I'm so sorry, please forgive her, she's one of the new – she isn't totally there, if you know what I mean."

The doctor pulled me back, "I don't know what you mean, maybe you should explain?"

My nice lady turned all flustered and stammered, "Well... well... she's..."

The doctor turned up his smile, "She's fabulous and you shouldn't ever say anything otherwise I should say, Dr John Smith by the way."

My nice lady stopped talking and gaped; he stuck out his long arm and shock her hand vigorously while I still clung to him. He looked at me warmly, almost lovingly

A blonde girl next to him looked at me with interest written in her eyes. She was older than me chronologically but not by much maybe.

"You're her foster mother, aren't you? right you are! Miss?"A space hung in the air

"Bea ... Beatrice Roxell," she filled in meekly.

"Is she eating well, learning all right? Does she smile a lot," The doctor rattled off questions while my nice lady struggled to keep up.

The doctor

I chuckled, the lady tried to keep up and the girl looked amused by it while she hugged me round the waist tightly. She remembered me and that warmed me so much more than summer on a resort world could.

"Doctor, aren't you going to do something about how their being named?" Rose asked, hands on her hips.

"Of course, I am! It would take ages for the politicians or officials to do something even if it's simple as saying don't call them numbers so I'll do it for them!"

"Go on, to your mother then," I pushed her towards her guardian but she stalled.

"Go now!" and her foster mother took her by the arm. She craned her neck the entire time she was dragged to the door, looking at me with sad eyes.

"Okay – Miss, "I read the name off the receptionists name tag, "Is that the PA system?" I pointed to a complicated column with a screen that was set in the corner.

'Yes, that's the unit for the reception, "She looked wary.

"The receptionist then answered a call from a holograph that appeared in front of her, "Yes, thank for calling, please hold."

I used the moment to snatch the mike device thing off her and jumped over the reception towards the PA system with the sonic screw driver between my teeth. Miss receptionist looked scared stiff and hadn't even called security - yet

I started tinkering with it, popped open the panels and started sonic-ing away at it. This was connected through the entire building, to the other PA system and if I could cross it with the wireless communication signal, I could wire this to every new new human safe house, school and even the officials head counter. Not exactly end of the world stuff but important none the less, names were important.

"Righty – the signal –hack the computer system – done, all we need now is-"Cue entrance of security.

I was effectively hauled out by several men, Rose ran after me and we ended up back in the TARDIS.

"Doctor!" she cried, "you didn't get to finish, you were going to hack it and send a message from there,"

She looked Crestfallen. I grinned," Who said I didn't hack it? The entire system relies on a wireless signal, once I have it I can transmit from any where!"

She grinned as well, "You cheeky bastard, you knew what you were doing from the beginning!"

"I suppose so - time lord an all, aren't I brilliant? I grinned.

Rose

"You knew what you were doing," burst from my lips involuntarily. The doctor was amazing.

"Yes, I did." He had that mad glint in his eyes. It was still there in the newly generated Doctor except now it was more pronounced. This new body of his was younger and skinny and the least bit foxy, no really foxy and his attitude more carefree, cheekier than and still as brilliant as ever. Regenerated, like this he was the same basically, same memories, same personality and yet so different. I still look at him like he sprouted a new head, no he did better than that, sprouted a whole new him, oh and he recently regrew a hand during the Sycorax business. He's still the same – mostly.

He flitted round the TARDIS central console, words coming out his mouth is bursts, going for the small screen that was fitted to the console and typing in long strings of what I presume was program commands. I know a little about that stuff because of Mickey, he's good with computers.

"Is that a program your writing up Doctor?" I asked

"Yes, it is – a new earth program – not like your average twenty first century computer soft ware, this is entirely different – all I need to do now is stick this in!" The doctor held up a clear cube of crystal, "New earth flash, can hold trillions of infa-bytes of information and I just used .00000001 of its capacity." I grinned, what else could I have done?

He slotted the cube in some where, the cube was grasped and withdrawn out of sight, and he typed in a few final symbols. He pulled out the PA device he took from the receptionist and pinned it to his lapel. The connection was made and the screen cleared and gave the access phrase, he punched that in. A holograph appeared.

"Please make your announcement." then disappeared. He punched the air triumphantly.

"Yes, I'm good!" I couldn't help but laugh, his good cheer was contagious.

"Is this on? He waved his hands, 'Right, channel established," suddenly about eight holograph screens appeared around him.

"Public announcement and a holograph conference at once –dinky isn't it?" He flashed me a smile then turned serious.

Eight official faces stared back at him.

"Now be careful what you say, I linked the conference system with the public announcement systems, and as you know those run on the wireless so I linked them together as well, atleast for all the buildings under social well fare – the new one's for the new new humans – we should get a proper name for them, can't keep calling them new new humans, point is every one involved in this can hear"

The faces looked confused, and then they looked angry.

"What is the meaning of this?" One face spoke up from its holographic screen.

"My name's the doctor and I'm not convinced that the new human sub species is being treated properly,"

Surround sound gasps were heard all round. The people looked shocked like the doctor had said some thing impossible.

Sound came from another holographic screen, "We are aware of who you are and how you were involved in this, you don't hide yourself far well enough to go totally unnoticed,"

"Why would I hide?" The doctor responded. Someone coughed delicately. A woman and she spoke.

"You may have had some hand in saving them and everyone in that unfortunate incident but we are in charge of the new humans and they are being looked after well,"

"Oh, but am not convinced, what's this about naming them with numbers? They aren't hardware, are they now?"

"They are alive, there are many other species that identify by numbers, and the state has other important things than going through names for people."

I gave a snort, "You all look like posh, fat politicians!"

The doctor shot me a glare, "I don't think you should Rose."

I felt like a berated child when he gave me the 'That's rude and could cause a intergalactic conflict' look. I had done that a couple times, no fault of mine though and in this case, it wouldn't be intergalactic, it would just be us. And that wouldn't be too good if we ever wanted to visit again but I couldn't help myself from saying that though, a few really did look fat – like that duke of Manhattan had looked – just two mainly. I was in the mood for generalizing things.

"Sorray!" I said in a whisper and fell silent; I wouldn't open my mouth for the rest of this encounter.

"Who's that then?" The woman said.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that they're humans and humans deserve a name, I have a name, you have a name and it isn't xy458 or the likes so it isn't that hard, and I'm not suggesting this, I'm telling you this, it's a small thing,"

"How are we supposed to do that?" some one shrieked.

"You're a bunch of smart politicians - figure it out!"

He punched the holographs off before they could reply then continued on through the hacked PA.

"Right all you new, pretty things, that was a bit of adult chatter, useless nonsense, all sounded funny, the thing is you lot are gonna have names …right so every one, you heard all that, proper names for those dears, if it's so hard, let them name themselves, they should be able to read soon, hand out some baby name books and let them choose, it'll be fun – alonsi then!"

The doctor shut it off and grinned some more, "What do you think?"

I looked down then looked up and smiled," Public black mail, I love it!"

He was pleased with himself and rocking back and forth on his heels. The energy he gave off was irrepressible. He bounded over to me and picked me up in a bear hug. He was still strong despite being skinny now. "Yes, yes, yes – it's the little things Rose… the tiny, little itsy things!"

The Doctor

I swung Rose around then put her down. She blushed, "Aren't I heavy?"

"Nar," She wasn't that heavy. This new me was skinnier than the last big eared bloke but it… I was still strong.

"Will they really do what you asked them too?" Rose said concernedly.

"Off course not, they know who I am – I strike fear into the hearts of many." I teased. They would listen, over the nine hundred years of my life, I had developed a reputation of being particularly vengeful when not listened too (in situations like this one) or when people don't take the' second chance, get off alive and in one relative piece' package I offer. This was a small thing nothing to blow into stellar proportions so they would try and comply with the best of their ability. I think I might have put dents in some egos but that's good too – humbling so to speak.

So I took Roses hand and pulled her towards the TARDIS double doors, she laughed, "Aren't we going some where else now doctor?"

"Oh, no you never got to see New, New York – You have to go to the shopping district!" Rose looked dumb founded.

"What?!"

"Shopping Rose, shopping – exchanging currency for mostly useless bits of fashion and what not's,"

She humphed," You're one to talk about useless bits of fashion!"

Rose was staring at my cream white Chucks and the pinstriped suit, I liked these – I don't know why, I just do, plus those sneakers were rubber soled – handy and reduces the risk of one electrocuting oneself in 'electric' situations. One of my previous Regenerations would have attested to that had he… I mean, I not worn steel tip boots.

"Don't be jealous now, I know I look foxy and that's pretty useful in its own way!" Rose giggled further.

"Oh sure!"

I'm sure your thinking whoa that is wonked, a live vid conference that is broadcasted over a PA system, I do apologize deeply for it. Leave a review telling me about the awefulness of the crack-ness of my idea.