Chapter Forty-Two: It Looks Like Me, But It Isn`t Me (Doctor`s Point of View)

I groaned and slumped against the couch. It was about midnight and everyone but I was already asleep. I wasn`t tired though.

I had to think this over.

You are a very successful planet, you have skyscrapers made of what looks like diamonds, no grass to cut, just a glassy substance that you can see your reflection in. You can`t die as easily as some others.

Why stay secretive? Why not boast your way through life, not giving a damn on anyone`s opinions?

She said that we were the first of our kinds to come here, but almost every other species had visited this place. How come we only see humans?

And why did she seem so nice to us, saying "no secrecy"?

My eyes opened widely. I had an idea.

What if there was something that attracted other species here? What if it was that building? And about the entire "no secrecy" thing, what if the Mayor just wanted information for her "novel"? And this novel, what if it was a checklist?!

What if she was lying this entire time and she really just wanted our lives? But why would she want our lives?

No... Is she a Soul Seeker?!

Soul Seekers are very, very, excruciatingly hard to beat. I`ve never encountered one before, I`ve only read about them. They are almost like mutated humans, where they can touch someone and transform into a duplicate, or clone, of that person. To finish an enemy off, as soon as someone becomes a threat to a Seeker, they will open their mouths and inhale the enemy`s soul like a vacuum, and then is used into another lifeless body that could benefit them. They can also read minds wherever they go. That would explain the Mayor`s knowing who and what we were when we were the first of our kinds.

What if the people who died weren`t really dying, but they were all killed from a Seeker because they knew something they shouldn`t? That explains how there are no natural deaths.

"Doctor...?" Ditzy asked, walking out of her bedroom and down to me. "Why are you still awake?"

"I`m not tired at all, love," I laughed. "I`ve been thinking this situation over."

"Well what have you got?"

"Soul Seekers – extremely dangerous... I have everything figured out for the most part, except for the ground."

"And what are Soul Seekers?"

"They can kill by sucking the soul out of someone, and then transferring it to someone different."

"But what evidence do you have for that to be the truth behind all of this?" she asked.

"It explains how they can`t die, of course – they may be having different souls come by every time the original dies of old age. It also will explain how she was really nice to us when she realized we were the first of our kind to come!"

Ditzy gasped. "What can we do about it? We can`t really do anything or they`ll hurt us."

"That's the point – we don`t do anything. We have to leave."

"Is that really going to help? Can`t we go and save everyone?" Ditzy asked, walking closer.

"No, because if they are Soul Seekers, they can take the form of anyone they touch!"

"Correct," Ditzy laughed.

"Huh?" I asked, suddenly shocked.

"We can change any time we want..." Ditzy said in a try to be seductive, walking even closer.

I hopped off of the couch and began walking away, but she caught my arm and pulled me to her. My eyes wide in shock, I tried to push her away, but she brought her lips to mine and kissed me deeply and frantically. I still tried to get away from her even through that, but when she broke apart from me, I saw her change into a figure so familiar.

He had long brown hair, wearing a brown suit with a long light brown coat. He was me.

"Well," he said, laughing at his new accent. "Guess I won`t need you anymore. One form to the next..."

He pushed me to the ground and I fell awkwardly on my hand. Then, I heard a flick, and a lighter was tossed to the ground.

Flames erupted and the man left suddenly, disappearing into thin air. The fire spread so quickly I couldn`t have time to stand up and one started on my coat, so I threw it off and ran for the others.

The TARDIS`s halls never ended, as it was so clearly pointed out to me during many of my travels. I heard coughing from Ditzy`s room and I busted the door open. She was smart – she was already on the floor since smoke rises.

"We gotta get out!" I yelled to her, pulling her into a crouching position and running with her hand in mine. The fire alarms sounded and Ditzy clutched as much of her ear as she could with her free hand, still keeping up with me.

I pulled open the doors and she fell out, watching the TARDIS erupt in flames. She gasped and we both started coughing over the smoke. "Dinky, she`s still in there!"

I didn`t even hesitate, I ran back in and followed the sounds of Dinky crying. I quickly opened her door and staggered inside.

She jumped into my grasp and sobbed heavily against my shoulder as I started running. "Don`t worry, Dinky, everything`s fine, I got you now!" I said, trying to reassure her as parts of the walls were falling around us.

The door was a second away and I nearly threw Dinky out of my arms to Ditzy, but I kept my grip and shut the door behind me.

Ditzy was lying on the ground, coughing, trying to allow fresh air into her lungs. She`d inhaled too much smoke and couldn`t breathe.

I had to do this.

I set Dinky down and kneeled next to Ditzy. I brought her face to mine and kissed her. I could feel the smoke coming from her lungs into mine and I softly lowered her to the ground.

She began gasping at the feeling of being able to breathe again and Dinky stared at us with wide eyes, not over the fact that we had kissed, but because of the fact I had just saved her mother from dying.

"Doctor...?" Ditzy asked. "No, no, no, no!"

I smiled at her, coughing. "I had to do that, Ditzy, you know that," I forced a laugh.

"I won`t let you die!" Tears began streaming down her face and Dinky watched us, crying even harder.

"You don`t have to worry," I frowned, looking at my hand. Yellow mist was starting to flake off and dissolve into the air. "You need to run, right now," I warned them.

"I am NOT leaving your side!" Ditzy screamed.

"I`m going to regenerate, you need to go! Take Dinky away from me right now! Please..." I pleaded.

Ditzy looked fearfully towards me and saw my entire body being enveloped in the bright yellow light. I smiled at her, hesitantly kissed her, and then pushed her softly away so she wouldn`t get hurt. Dinky had heard my warning and backed up several steps, but pulled Ditzy to where she was standing.

I couldn`t hold it back anymore.

Author`s Note:

Because the last one was short, here`s 42. And then 43 and 44 tomorrow, because it`ll be Friday.