52

"Solomon hasn't shown up!" Cillian was less then pleased the next day to notice how the closing act of the show had disappeared. The Doctor and Phil sat on the stage and watched him pace around angrily twirling a cigar in his hands.

"Oh."

"Oh? Oh? Is that all you can say?"

"Well...yeah...I mean," jumping off of the stage The Doctor walked up to him. "We didn't know him, sure we saw him perform but after that we left."

"Then where is he?"

"At home?" Phil pointed out, Cillian narrowed her eyes at her like she had just spoke another language, or insulted him in some way. She figured she sort of did insult him, well his intelligence. Solomon's home would be the first place to check and that was rather obvious. Phil couldn't help but point out the obvious this one time.

The Doctor wagged a finger at her, "She has a point, been to his house Cillian?"

"No!"

"Alright alright no need to shout at me. Actually I have some sad news to tell you."

"He's dead isn't he?"

"What? Why would you say that? That's rather morbid of you."

"Well come on," Cillian popped the cigar in his mouth. "You magicians are always dying in weird ways." Doctor looked confused and turned to Phil for some sort of help.

"Think to what you said yesterday." She pointed out, The Doctor frowned and then clicked his fingers finally understanding.

"You think some magician has done him in to steal his tricks?"

"Yes! You're not all there are you?" Cillian took a step back from him, sticking his hands in his pockets The Doctor gave a shrug and walked back towards the stage. He didn't have the heart to answer his question, his mentality had been questioned many a time that he just couldn't be bothered to defend it anymore.

"Ok well, that's very unfortunate if he has passed away. But that wasn't the sad news I had to tell you," he paused to help Phil clamber down off of the stage. She was still recovering from the teleporting yesterday. "We have to leave."

"Wha-"

"We have to leave, something important has popped up." The Doctor smiled and waved at Cillian while nudging Phil out of the door. The poor man couldn't even answer because they were already out of the door and walking down the street quickly.

"What a smooth getaway."

"I know right?" Doctor grinned and pulled out the TARDIS key, looking around Phil followed him in when he had finally unlocked the door. Shutting it behind her she nodded at the tape recorder object which was currently positioned on the console. The two hadn't quite decided where to put it so they just left it there.

"What do we do with it?"

"I honestly don't know, breaking it wouldn't win us any favours." Shaking his head and picking it up he held it at arms length and then close to narrow his eyes over it. Phil just stood watching the moment choosing not to voice an opinion.

"So we stash it somewhere?"

"Yes! Let it collect dust somewhere. Solomon has gone, and he was the one man who knew what he was doing with this thing. Although...have you still got some information in your noggin which you stole from him?"

"It's a blank."

"Honestly?"

"Well and truly, there's nothing. The first thing I did get from him was what that thing was. But there was nothing of why he was making it or using it...or in fact was even in possession of it."

"Anything of him using it?"

"Yup."

"That's enough for me, people are good at making things. But not these sort of things at this sort of time. You see young Phil, I believe Solomon got given this for a higher purpose. We're now a spanner in the works of someone's plan." The Doctor paused and tucked the tape recorder under his arm. "As you said it's more or less a soul stealer, which means those stolen souls have gone to use on some strange purpose. But clearly by looks of things, I don't think Solomon can build another one, because he didn't build it."

"Alright so?"

"So where do you want to go now?"

"Eh?"

"What?"

"Well you seemed to be going somewhere with what you were saying. But now you're on about going elsewhere."

"Oh look," turning on the stairs Doctor waved the tape recorder at her. "It will collect dust on a shelf, maybe right next to the Progenitor. There's a nice cosy spot right next to it, the two may even look good sitting next to each other. It could be that he just found this and found out how to use it, I've already scanned the place and there's nothing alien around."

"Apart from us and that."

"Exactly."

"Alright."

"Happy now?"

"Yup."

"So where do you want to go?"

"I'm not sure."

"Solar system, planet, star?"

"Oh so many choices!" Phil whined quietly while walking up the stairs, The Doctor was already half way down the corridor clutching onto the tape recorder soul stealer.

"Do you know what annoys me most about technology?"

"No." Phil sat on the stairs clutching onto a bowl of cereal, she had been woken up and dragged out of bed. She was used to it by now, so many times had she been woken up. Clearly lay ins were not a possible thing to happen with The Doctor around.

"Spam mail."

"...Spam mail?"

"Yes you heard right, I hate spam mail. Some may say I've even got a vendetta against it! I mean come on," turning away from one of the screens he looked at Phil, she sat with the spoon handle sticking out of her mouth. "Don't look at me like that Phil! Don't you hate spam mail too? I know for sure I am not alone."

"I don't actually check my emails often." She shrugged and ate more of her cereal, "Hold on!" Jumping up and shuffling up to him she waved the spoon at him. "Since when did you email?"

"What?"

"I knew it, you have no idea-"

"I know what emailing is! Blimey Phil, I may be old but I am certainly not behind in technology, or in the use of technology." By now Phil had stopped waving the spoon at him and had taken to finishing her breakfast.

"So...where are you going with this? You're going to take down the annoying people who create spam mail?"

"Pfft as if!" The Doctor smiled widely and rolled the sleeves up on his light blue shirt. Phil looked at him ever more confused, first thing in the morning and trying to process The Doctor's confusing words was a normal occurrence.

"I'm so confused. Can you try and make some more sense?"

"I make perfect sense all of the time it isn't my fault if your brain can't make sense of my perfected sense."

"Huh," Phil muttered and leant against the railing beside him. "Do you know what annoys me about technology?"

"What?"

"Pop up windows." She swished the milk around in the bowl before lifting it up to drink the milk out. The Doctor tilted his head to the side and watched her, it was definitely one way to drink milk out of a bowl. Looking at him confused she looked around and then back at him, "Yes?"

"You have such ways of drinking milk."

"It's a skill," nodding and putting the spoon in the empty bowl she held onto it and nodded at the screen. "You have a pop up window."

"Oh wow well looky here Phil, you're absolutely right!"

"For once, that's shocking."

"Enjoy your moment of being right," Doctor leant forward to look closely at the screen. Phil gave a shrug and turned to walk off back to the kitchen.

"Welcome to Next-World!"

"Oh my god it talks?" Phil jumped out of her skin almost putting the bowl down on the stairs in hope that she wouldn't break it, The Doctor looked up at her confused. Talking pop up windows were normal but she honestly didn't expect the sound to practically echo around the console room.

Skipping down the stairs she stood next to him and looked at the advertisement. "Is this weird? You're getting offered a holiday."

"I do love holidays, a nice break away from everything."

"Everything? What?" Phil laughed, "A nice break away? We go to a different place nearly everyday."

"True as that may be," he started to say and then stopped. Phil looked up at him with a smug smile, "Oh shut up."

"What sort of name is Next-World?"

"That Phil is the name of a scam."

"An alien scam?"

"Would you know any other type?"

"Human scams are sometimes similar in calling things in such a way."

The Doctor thought over her words and gave a nod, the two looked back to the screen. There was a smiling green haired woman talking, thankfully The Doctor had lowered the volume down so her voice wasn't echoing around.

The woman was happily explaining all of the things to do at this apparent resort. "Hold on."

"What?"

"Doesn't that place look familiar to you?" Doctor looked at Phil sidewards, she frowned and slowly shook her head. "Look closely at it Phil."

She looked up at him confused and then back to the screen, "You've been there before." He said hoping that it would spark her memory. All of a sudden she gasped and clicked her fingers, he nodded happily. "Planet Vega is now a resort?"

"Screams suspicious right?"

"Just a tad."

"As far as I can remember Naramiel is not one for company, let alone people."

"Yeah she's not really a people person."

"Unlike me."

"Yup unlike you," Phil ran a hand through her hair. "So...wanna go to Next-World?"

"Oh I would love to go to Next-World with you Phil! Thank you so much for asking."

"You're welcome Doctor, face it, there are very few people who I could take to this resort but you."