Lively throughout Jamestown, Paul and Taylor were pressed to find a spot that wasn't busy.
From every which way they looked, people were going through the motions of their day, excited for the future ahead.
Arms interlocked, Paul and Taylor followed a crowd to what some considered an elective man, claiming to have discovered something in the forests nearby that he wanted to show everyone.
Standing in the back as they watched on, they see a short man wearing spectacles as he kept a hand over a table with a cloth over it.
Listening to the crowd, Paul overheard one person mention he was the self-made historian of the colony.
A perfect way of finding out why they're here.
Looking on, they listened Harp describe the sight as he went digging in the forests in a theatrical matter as he waved his hand over the cloth before him.
"I have reasons to believe there used to be a bird species here, quite unusual," Harp went on as the crowd watched on.
Gripping the cloth, he pulled it back causing the crowd to be awe at the sight.
Gripping his arm tightly, Taylor gulps as she whispers, "Paul…"
Paul's angel eyes widened as he watched Harp show the interested crowd of a black skull fragment with the top half of a long beak.
Showing the crowd excitedly, Harp swore this was genuine, and if given the chance, he could dig out more.
"Looks like some… medieval mask!" Paul heard a woman comment as she clenched her husband's arm in fright at the sight.
Harp treated the sight as a novel discovery, he encouraged people to come by his museum to see it better, as he then requested modest donations for the next excavation.
Sharing looks with Taylor, Paul chewed on his bottom lip as he led her away from the crowd, following along a route towards Harp's Museum as they privately shared thoughts about Harp's discovery.
"They're going to do something foolish, I know it," Paul didn't shy away from his worry that the colony will do something it will soon regret and there'd be nothing he and Taylor can do about it, since it was a fix point in time.
Watching her step over the uneven path, Taylor added with a despondent, "And if we try to do anything, whatever happens then will be worse than if it happened now."
Their options heavily limited, the couple had to consider their choices carefully, else whatever happened to the colony would be far worse than imagined.
"Is it possible to save some of them?" Taylor wondered about the possibility.
They may not be able to stop whatever happens, but they can try and save the few.
Walking with her, Paul pondered this before replying that he doesn't know for sure, no one ever tried it, out of fear of what may happen, but seeing the children playing in the open street, he wondered if it falls to him to try.
The TARDIS will say something if they attempt something that can cause a catastrophic event worse than the one set to befall Jamestown, that much Paul knew.
Reaching out into the unknown, Paul called out to the silent TARDIS as he asked for its appearance, that he needed to use it to find a solution to their troubles.
When he felt satisfied, Paul returned to conversing with Taylor as they arrived at Harp's Museum.
Didn't take long for him to return with his discovery and already there's a line out the door with people wanting to see the skull fragment.
Reaching into his deep pocket, Paul retrieved a few shillings to pay for the entrance fee as he and Taylor stood in line with people eager for their turn.
The line slowly lessened as people came and went from Hap's Museum, eventually it was Paul and Taylor's turn, and from there they investigated Hap's discoveries while privately talking to one another.
Hap didn't waste time establishing his niche in the colony, going for the historian route, wearing it as a badge, he was eager to talk people's ears off about his discoveries.
Taking time, the couple found themselves close to the skull fragment.
Blackened like the beast it came from.
Likely a side-effect, given how Hap handled it, the bone wasn't laced with anything dangerous that could have seeped into his skin from handling it with his bare hands.
Putting on a face, Paul asks Hap where the rest of the skeletal remains were, but Hap says that he couldn't dig them out without risking damaging them, since he didn't have the right equipment.
Retrieving the skull fragment was easier, Hap swearing he didn't intentionally damage the skeleton remains in the process.
"What about the rest of the skull?" Paul grew curious.
Meekly shrugging, Hap says that it was stuck in the earth that he had to make a choice, but swore it was cleanly cut from the rest of the skull.
Certain there were more complete skeletons elsewhere in the forests, Hap hoped with better tools he could retrieve them in one piece without fear of further damaging them.
Seeing Hap happily describe how he hoped to entice everyone in the colonies to come to Jamestown to witness his findings did not lead to either Paul or Taylor sharing similar opinions as they're forced to quietly reel in what they're witnessing.
Hap had found the skeletal remains of a Drekker.
Bones or not, Paul had enough images of the foul creatures seared into his mind that he knew them by sight, dead or alive.
By chance, Hap discovered their remains while searching for something to set himself apart, and well, Paul truthfully doesn't know how else to respond, other than dread.
He's well-aware from the stories of his mother and father's encounters as well as other Doctors who had similar run-ins with the creatures, but none ever discussed finding their skeletal remains.
Covertly, Paul fished for information and Hap was more than willing to tell him everything he wanted to know, that the bones were a recent discovery, and judging from the upbeat nature he and Taylor felt arriving, no one had disappeared.
Yet.
Without any knowledge of what to expect, Paul felt blind as a bat, and he hoped the TARDIS would have something he could use as he and Taylor spoke with Hap.
Something or another happened, and Hap encouraged the couple to see the skull fragment up close… and personal.
Didn't even want to touch it, but he wanted to get on Hap's good side, see what he can muster, so Paul put on a braved face as he held the skull fragment in his hands.
The blackness in his hands made Paul's angel eyes wide with fright as he was forced to put on a face holding the skull fragment in his hands.
"Watch it, you nitwit!" Hap shouted at him as he nearly dropped the skull fragment on the ground when he heard cawing coming from the main showroom.
A bird accidentally got inside, causing a commotion, and people were struggling to capture it.
Feeling his two hearts beating against his chest, Paul expressed his apologies as he hid his trembling hands.
"Get the damn bird outta here!" Hap shouted passed Paul as he retreated to Taylor's side.
Clasping his hands with hers, Taylor cooed in his ear, but Paul couldn't help what he felt.
There was terror to be felt, primal, something he hadn't felt even with Cybermen and Daleks.
This was different.
