Chapter 2
New, New Earth: Part Two
"Now…now, I'm certain we can work something out…" Cassandra said, trying to keep the tremor from her voice as she slowly placed a hand on the chest of the man who still stood rather close.
"I'm certain we can." Benedict replied, but his hand soon grasped the wrist of hers and squeezed enough to make her wince. "But it will be nothing of that variety." He nearly spat, before stepping back and looking about the room. Cassandra let out a breath, her face flushing with heat and blood she hadn't had in so long. She fanned her face before watching him.
Benedict went over to the machinery that previously kept her alive. It was now completely roasted. He kicked one piece before glancing back at her, "ain't going back to this."
"I wouldn't want to even if I could." Cassandra said, and he hummed before turning on his heel to fully face her.
"So, what's the grand plan? Hm? Humans aren't exactly known for their long lives. You've got what…sixty…seventy years in her body tops?" He came back over, giving her a once over as he circled once around her. Cassandra followed his movement best she could. "Of course, less than that if you want to retain this beauty standard that humans hold." He came to a stop in front of her again.
"There are countless surgeons who can keep me young for eons." She said righting herself up more.
"Mmmhmm, but that costs money, and considering you are squatting in a hospital. I can't imagine you have much of it." He pointed out, and she hummed smiling a little.
"Well, that's where the nurses come in."
His head lifted with understanding, "ah yes, the 'dirty little secret' you were referring to before."
Cassandra grinned and opened her mouth to further explain her masterful plan…when a ringing sound began to trill.
Both blinked and looked down at the pocket of Rose's jeans.
Cassandra slowly pulled out a strange device, the front had a lit up green box, with a name in it.
"It says Doctor." Her eyes lifted to the man who stood across from her. He hummed and motioned to the device.
"Well, you should answer it…shouldn't you?" He grinned broadly again, "we wouldn't want him to worry now would we?"
Cassandra gave him an apprehensive look but opened up the device and held it to her ear.
"Rose, where are you?" That was not the voice she recognized as the Doctor's but a quick search through Rose's memories had her blinking. It was him, but he was different…younger?
Then her eyes widened and she turned to Benedict, covering what she presumed was the microphone of the device.
"How does she speak?" She hissed, and he gave a slight shrug.
"Human? I don't know."
Cassandra sent him a glare before turning back to the phone, "er…hello, yes…it is I." she tried to work in how she remembered the girl speaking…but honestly Cassandra didn't pay much attention to what she was saying.
"What? Oh, never mind, where've you been? How long does it take to get to Ward 26?" The Doctor asked, and she shifted, glancing at Benedict who had wandered back over to the machine and was pulling at some wires, she pursed her lips before turning back to the phone.
"Yes…I'm on my way...governor." She stammered through an intensified accent, luckily the Doctor didn't seem to care or notice. "I shall proceed up the apples…and pears." The human girl was from earth…those had been common earth foods…
"You'll never guess. I'm with the Face of Boe. Remember him?" He prompted, and she chewed her lip, her eyes now on Benedict as he seemed to be disassembling the machine Chip had put together.
"Of course I do." She answered absently, her brow pinching as the blindfolded man began to trying to spark power between to wires. "That…big…ole…boat race." She muttered, and jumped slightly when Benedict suddenly appeared next to her.
She muffled a gasp with her hand and took a slight step away from her, but he stole the device from her hand in one quick move before holding it up to his ear.
"This is the Doctor yeah?" He prompted, and Cassandra stared at him unsure if he was going to say anything about her.
The Doctor paused at the question and unfamiliar voice that greeted him, he tensed up, "…yes, why do you have Rose's phone?"
"Oh, don't sound so hostile, I haven't done anything to her. Name's Benedict, and I met Rose in the lobby, lovely lass she is. Said she was going to ward 26, and I was like, whoa, what a coincidence, I'm going there too! So, we hopped into the elevator, got all disinfected, but it must've malfunctioned or something cause we ended up in ward 3, crazy right? Anyways, I heard from your friend here that you help people yeah? Which again, what a coincidence, cause I'm in need of help, wild right? Anyways, we'll be up in a minute." The man explained, though the Doctor was still frowning.
"Right…now can you give Rose back her phone?" He asked, and the man confirmed before handing the phone back.
"Yeah?"
"Are you alright?" he asked, holding the phone closer to his ear.
"Course I am, like ole Benny said, we'll be up in a minute." She said, in a much more prominent accent than usual. The Doctor frowned, but let it slide for now. He needed to make sure she got up here.
"Alright…well I'd better go. See you in a minute." He closed the phone and frowned to himself. Whomever was with her…sounded odd at the very least. He said he was going to ward 26…perhaps he was the one who send the psychic paper?
Though he supposed that remained to be seen.
His attention was soon pulled to the Duke of Manhattan as the man made a joyous noise. The Doctor made his way over and blinked at the sight of the fleshly colored man. Not even twenty minutes earlier he'd been concrete grey and in terrible condition.
"Didn't think I was going to make it." The man claimed as the Doctor drew closer, the Duke soon spotted him and held up a hand, a bright grin on his face. "It's that man again! He's my good luck charm. Come in. Don't be shy." He invited, prompting the Doctor to enter the cubicle.
"Any friendship expressed by the Duke of Manhattan does not constitute a form of legal contract." Claimed Clovis, her stern gaze on the Doctor he paid more mind to the Duke though.
"Winch me up. Up! Look at me. No sign of infection." He said, as a man dressed as wait staff filled a wine glass for the Duke.
Said waiter soon turned to the Doctor, holding up the bottle. "Champagne, sir?" he prompted, but the Doctor shook his head, pulling out his glasses and putting them on as if that would help to explain what was going on.
"No, thanks." The Time-lord turned to the Duke, "you had Petrifold Regression, right?" He asked, and the man pointed to him.
"That being the operative word. Past tense. Completely cured." He patted his own chest happily. But the Doctor shook his head.
"But that's impossible." He breathed just as one of the nurses approached with a pitcher.
"Primitive species would accuse us of magic, but it's merely the tender application of science." She explained, and the Doctor turned to her with a frown.
"How on Earth did you cure him?" He asked, but the sister only smiled at him.
"How on New Earth, you might say." Then she turned and walked from the cubicle, the Doctor quickly followed.
"What's in that solution?" He pressed, but the sister merely shrugged.
"A simple remedy."
"Then tell me what it is." He insisted, she stopped and turned to face him.
"I'm sorry. Patient confidentiality. I don't believe we've met. My name is Matron Casp." She greeted and the Doctor nodded in kind.
"I'm the Doctor."
That earned a smile, though it was slightly pensive, "I think you'll find that we're the doctors here." She explained, and just before the Doctor was going to press, Jatt came over and gently touched the forearm of her matron. Casp turned to her,
"Matron Casp, you're needed in Intensive Care." She explained, and Casp turned back to the Doctor.
"If you would excuse me." The Doctor only nodded, and watched as they walked away speaking in hushed tones to each other.
The time-lord frowned but then looked around, still not spotting Rose.
Pursing his lips he headed over to the elevators deciding to wait for her.
Something strange was happening here, and the sooner he could see that she was alright, the better.
"You think you're gonna be able to fool him?" Benedict asked from where he fiddled with the pieces of machinery he had taken from Cassandra's previous life support system.
Cassandra, who stood before the mirror fluffed up her hair and huffed sending him a look, "as long as you don't open your big mouth." She sniffed, and he chuckled but didn't turn to face her.
"Watch it, between you and I, you definitely have more to lose." He countered, and she frowned at the mirror straightening the jacket she wore.
"I wouldn't get too ahead of myself, you let his precious human get put into this position." She looked over her shoulder at him, "I saw you just stand there and watch as I took control."
This time he spun on his heel to face her, hands spread, "but I tried, I saved her the first time, it's not my fault that butt-bitch somehow figured out how to hop between bodies."
Cassandra pouted before huffing and turning back to the mirror as she continued to primp herself.
"So, what's it going to take for you to keep your mouth shut?" He didn't respond and she huffed, turning again, only to let out a gasp and jump back, hand to her chest. "Dammit! Stop doing that!" She snapped as he smirked down at her from where he stood, less than half a meter from her.
"If you kill the Doctor, I'll make you wish you were an ass flap again." He said through a broad grin, Cassandra curled on herself slightly and gazed up at him apprehensively.
"No need to be vulgar." She murmured, and he cracked a chuckle, though it was low. "Fine, fine, I won't kill the Doctor." She walked past him a tad hurriedly before going to her supplies. On her way over her eyes fell on Chip, he was still on the ground, his breathing seemed to be faint, but he was still alive.
She was sure he'd be fine.
Once at her items she searched through the box pulling out some perfume and looking it over, whilst keeping it hidden from her companion.
It could be her only defense…
"Is this why human men complain about women taking so long?" He grumbled, and Cassandra inhaled deeply, slipped the small vial in between her breasts and turned to face him again.
"Oh hush. Some of us don't want to look like we're covered in filth." She snapped before heading toward the elevator, Benedict grumbled something under his breath, but followed.
"Ambient temperature stands at fourteen degrees. This temperature is designed to promote healing and well-being." The voice from the ceiling claimed as the Doctor walked about the ward, looking through each cubicle, one of them had a person floating mid-air.
He came to a stop before the gravity defying patient and hummed, only to hear familiar footsteps. Turning, he was greeted with the sight of Rose, she looked a tad more disheveled, but otherwise unharmed.
"There you are. Come and look at this patient. Marconi's Disease. Should take years to recover. Two days. I've never seen anything like it. They've invented a cell washing cascade. It's amazing. Their medical science is way advanced. And this one." He said, grabbing her arm and taking her over to another patient, thus one as pale as his gown and bedsheets.
"Pallidome Pancrosis. Kills you in ten minutes, and he's fine. I need to find a terminal. I've got to see how they do this. Because if they've got the best medicine in the world, then why is it such a secret?" He asked, and Rose shrugged looking up at him.
"I can't Adam and Eve it." She said, giving the Doctor pause as he looked at her curiously.
"What's, what's. what's with the voice?" He asked, and she opened her mouth to respond-
"Honestly, I was wondering the same thing. Who knows, maybe she caught a cold. Wouldn't that be ironic?" The Doctor turned at the voice, it was the same one from the phone call earlier. Honestly, he'd nearly forgotten Rose wasn't alone.
"The cold?" the Doctor prompted turning to Rose but keeping Benedict in his peripheral.
Rose shook her head, "oh don't worry about it, I'm just trying something a bit different. You know…" she shrugged, "New Earth, new me."
The Doctor nodded giving a one shoulder shrug, "well, I can talk." He then turned to Benedict. "Hi…yes, you said you were needing some help?" Benedict, who the Doctor noted was blindfolded, straightened at the question.
"Yes, actually I was wondering if-"
"Ah, Doctor, didn't you say you wanted to see a terminal?" Rose interrupted causing the Doctor to blink and turn to her, she had grabbed hold of his arm and looked up at him doe eyed. "Shouldn't we be taking care of what's going on here first?" she asked, before turning to look at Benedict, an odd smile on her face. "I'm sure whatever Benedict needs can wait."
There was a moment of silence as the Doctor glanced between Rose and Benedict. Despite the blindfold, the man seemed to hold eye contact with her.
"Is everything…alright?" He asked carefully, his suspicions of the whole situation rising by the moment.
"Yes." Rose said, turning to him and smiling, "it is." And then, throwing the Doctor for a loop, she grabbed him by the lapels and yanked him down to her height, smashing her lips against his.
He easily and readily reciprocated, and it was Rose who pulled away first, with a gasp as she fanned her face.
"Terminal's this way. Phew." She said before walking off, leaving both Benedict and the Doctor standing there.
"Yep, still got it." He said, running hand through his hair and following, after a moment, he heard Benedict's footsteps behind him soon after.
Once they caught up with Rose the Doctor took to investigating the terminal. Benedict, however, went over to the wall and tilted his head brushing a hand over it.
"Nope, nothing odd. Surgery, post-op, nano-dentistry. No sign of a shop. They should have a shop." He muttered still a bit put off by it.
But Rose stepped forward, "no, it's missing something else. When I was downstairs, those Nurse Cat Nuns were talking about Intensive Care. Where is it?" She asked, the Doctor spared her a glance before nodding and turning back to the console.
"You're right. Well done." He looked over all the levels again, not one ICU in sight.
"Why would they hide a whole department? It's got to be there somewhere. Search the sub-frame." She said, the Doctor nodded but looked at her.
"What if the sub-frame's locked?" He asked, and she motioned to the computer.
"Try the installation protocol." She ordered, and he nodded turning back to the computer and running his sonic over it.
"Yeah. Of course. Sorry. Hold on." He ran the sonic over the screen only for the wall Benedict was standing before to slide open with a hiss.
Rose and the Doctor stood up as Benedict looked back at them. The blindfolded man stepped back from the open corridor and motioned for them to lead.
"Be my guest."
The Doctor spared him a glance before heading into the corridor.
"Intensive Care. Certainly looks intensive." The time-lord murmured glancing about the corridor.
Rose and Benedict followed, Benedict sending a wink to Hame who watched them go.
At some point Rose took the lead as they went down a staircase. One that creaked and groaned with every step. The Doctor watched her go though he turned his head slightly over his shoulder.
"I take it that the blindfold is merely decorative?" He asked the man who followed close behind.
"Astute observation Time-Lord." Benedict countered, and that gave the Doctor pause. But before he could open his mouth the enclosed area of the staircase opened up to reveal rows upon rows of cells containing what appeared to be humanoids.
When they finally reached a platform, the Doctor went over to one of the first cell pods. He used his sonic to open one of them, revealing a extremely sickly looking man.
"That's disgusting. What's wrong with him?" Rose asked, though at the statement, the Doctor's jaw jaw tensed slightly. He didn't say anything however and shook his head at the man who's skin was a sickly green color.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He said softly, before slowly shutting the door, the man hadn't uttered a word. Just stared at him with head vacant eyes.
The Doctor moved to the next one opening it up as well. Only to find a woman in the same condition as the man before her.
"What disease is that?" Rose asked, and the Doctor took a deep breath trying to remain calm as the pieces slowly started fitting together.
"All of them. Every single disease in the galaxy. They've been infected with everything." He said, voice soft, Rose looked between the poor woman and him.
"What about us? Are we safe?" She asked, and the Doctor let out a small sigh.
"The air's sterile. Just don't touch them." Then he closed the door, it sealed with a hiss.
He stepped back and took in the many, many victims, his insides churning a bit. Rose shifted next to him and Benedict peered over the railing at the depths of the place.
"How many patients are there?" Rose asked softly.
"These ain't patients." Benedict said, pulling Rose's attention to him.
"But they're sick." She protested, and Benedict gave a small snort, leaving the Doctor to answer.
"They were born sick. They're meant to be sick. They exist to be sick. Lab rats. No wonder the Sisters have got a cure for everything. They've built the ultimate research laboratory. A human farm." He spat, now aware of the other presence on the platform, Rose however didn't seem to notice yet. But a glance to Benedict told him he was already gazing at their new companion.
"Why don't they just die?" Rose asked, and the Doctor sighed.
"Plague carriers. The last to go."
"It's for the greater cause." Hame's voice finally cut in, the Doctor turned on his heel to face her as Rose did much the same.
"Novice Hame," he greeted, though none-too pleasant. "When you took your vows, did you agree to this?" he asked, the edge now in his voice.
"The Sisterhood has sworn to help." Hame insisted, and the Doctor grit his teeth.
"Quite a way to help." Muttered Benedict.
"What, by killing?" Snapped the Doctor right after. Hame however shook her head, hands clasped before her.
"But they're not real people. They're specially grown. They have no proper existence." She claimed, the Doctor was having none of it, he stepped forward causing her to give a slight step back.
"What's the turnover, hmm? Thousand a day? Thousand the next? Thousand the next? How many thousands? For how many years? How many!" He demanded, now closer. Hame looked up at him as the Time-Lord did his best to reign back his temper. So many people suffering…
"Mankind needed us." Countered the cat, "they came to this planet with so many illnesses. We couldn't cope. We did try. We tried everything. We tried using clone-meat and bio-cattle, but the results were too slow, so the Sisterhood grew its own flesh. That's all they are. Flesh." She tried to explain, like it was obvious, like it was strange for him to be upset over something like this.
"These people are alive." He snapped back, she however motioned above them.
"But think of those Humans out there, healthy and happy, because of us." She insisted, he shook his head taking a step back.
"If they live because of this, then life is worthless."
Hame shook her head up at him, still not seeing the point. "But who are you to decide that?"
"I'm the Doctor." He said, pushing all authority into his voice as he gazed down at her. She stared back, though her eyes danced with uncertainty, "and if you don't like it, if you want to take it to a higher authority, then there isn't one. It stops with me."
Rose stepped up next to him to speak with Hame, "Just to confirm. None of the humans in the city actually know about this?" she asked, and the Doctor spared a brief glance down at her.
"We thought it best not." Hame explained, her eyes bouncing between Rose and the Doctor.
Finally, the time-lord had enough of being in the dark. "Hold on. I can understand the bodies. I can understand your vows. One thing I can't understand. What have you done to Rose?"
There was a beat of silence.
"Oh snap." Benedict muttered, but the Doctor chose to ignore the man for the moment.
"I don't know what you mean." Hame said, genuinely looking confused, however the Doctor wasn't having it.
"And I'm being very, very calm. You want to be aware of that. Very, very calm. And the only reason I'm being so very, very calm is that the brain is a delicate thing. Whatever you've done to Rose's head, I want it reversed." He ordered, the edge creeping further into his voice. But Hame shook her head again.
"We haven't done anything."
Rose sighed from next to him before casting her glance to him, "I'm perfectly fine." She insisted, but he turned to her.
"These people are dying, and Rose would care." His eyes searched her face, trying to find any trace of familiarity. But she sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Oh, all right, clever clogs. Smarty pants. Lady-killer." She snarked, and the Doctor's brow furrowed.
"What's happened to you?" His eyes lifted and went to their relatively silent companion, but the man was just watching. From what the Doctor could tell anyways.
"Well," started Rose, or whomever was in charge now, "it all started when I ran into him." She nodded toward Benedict, making the Doctor's gaze fix on him.
"Oh please." Benedict started, before crossing his arms, "I tried to save her ass." The Doctor tensed.
"You knew she-"
"Easy tiger." Benedict cut him off causing the time-lord to blink and bristle, "your friend is alright in there, Cassy is just a pesky visitor right now. Bit of a psychograph." Then he shrugged, "apparently once free from your body you can just hop in and out of bodies. Who knew?"
However, the Doctor held up his hands, "someone explain what is going on now." He snapped, and Rose, or 'Cassy' opened her mouth but Benedict cut her off.
"Alright, look, I found Rose in the lobby after recognizing her from a description I received. As you know, I need help, and I've been trying to get in contact with you wayward fools for a bit now. Hasn't been working, looks like just my luck, ran into her. We tried to go to ward 26 but butt-bitch over here had her obsessive lacky change the elevator route. We ended up in the basement. There, miss ass flap tried to psychograph onto your little friend, but I stopped it, and forced her into her little weird follower. Except she then hopped from his body and into Rose's." He explained, and the Doctor blinked before turning to Rose who was not actually Rose.
"Skin…Cassandra?" He asked, and she gave a biting little smile, peeved at her thunder being stolen.
"Yes, the last human." She snapped; the Doctor shook his head.
"But…but you died! We saw you-"
"Yes well, wake up and smell the-" Cassandra cut herself off this time as she reached into her shirt only to freeze. Her eyes went behind the Doctor. "You…bastard…" she gasped, and the Doctor whipped around, only to find Benedict holding up what looked to be a vial of perfume.
"You really thought you were clever hiding this in your breasts?" He asked, and she made an indignant sound.
"How did you even get that! I-"
"You had your eyes closed while you snogged Doc here." He motioned to the Doctor who shook his head, and stepped back so he could face them both.
"This has gone on long enough." He started, "Cassandra, a psychograph is incredibly illegal and dangerous." He turned to her, "I want you out of that body now." He snapped, and she huffed crossing her arms.
"No! Where else am I supposed to go?"
"I don't care! Just not in her!" He said throwing up a hand, and she pouted.
"But I don't want to die!"
"Everyone dies Cassandra." The Doctor said, if not soberly.
Benedict however leaned back to speak past the Doctor, "seeing how your biggest secret was just discovered, I suggest getting your superior." The Doctor turned only to remember that Hame was still with them. The cat woman, clearly overwhelmed nodded and hurried off. As she did, the Doctor turned his attention to Benedict.
"And you…I have a lot to speak with you about." He said, only to be met with a smile from the man.
"Good! I have a lot to speak with you about as well. We can have…ah, how do the humans put it?" He put a finger to his chin and then looked to the side before lifting a hand in discovery, "ah yes, thank you." He turned to the Doctor, a catlike grin stretching his face, "we can have tea and biscuits while we discuss it aye?" The last bit was an odd mixture of a British, Australian and Canadian accent. A concoction that the Doctor didn't know what to make of.
"Oi!" The Doctor turned to Cassandra who'd been trying to sneak away, "get away from that." He ordered, pointing at the control panel that she stood before, however she turned to look at him and chuckled.
"Sorry Doc, I'm not sticking around for this one." She opened the panel door and the Doctor held up both hands, taking a step closer but stopping as she grabbed a lever and grinned at him.
"Cassandra…" he warned, but she tilted her head looking over him before giving a slight scoff, a smile still playing on her lips.
"You know, over the years…I've thought of a thousand ways to kill you, Doctor. And now? That's exactly what I've got, a thousand diseases and a thousand angry sick people. Its poetic don't you think? The Doctor…killed by the people he couldn't help."
"Cassandra, I'm sure we can work something out, but you need to let Rose go." He insisted, and she smiled.
"I will. As soon as I've found someone younger, and less common, then I'll junk her with the waste. Now hushaby. It's showtime." She said, looking past the Doctor and Benedict, he turned to look, only to find Casp and Jatt. Both with their hands clasped before them.
"Anything we can do to help?" Jatt asked, and Cassandra straightened.
"Straight to the point, Whiskers. I want money." She claimed, and the Doctor looked to Benedict who let his attention move from the sisters and to Cassandra, but he must've felt the Doctor's gaze as he soon returned it.
The man tilted his head curiously, and the Doctor internally debated for a moment, he knew scarce anything about the man before him, but until he got Rose back, he seemed to be his only potential ally in this situation.
Ugh, he wished he'd learned better how to telepathically communicate without physical contact.
Cassandra and Casp went back and forth about money on either side of the two men. So, they didn't notice as Benedict nodded toward Cassandra and held up the small vial. The Doctor's eyes dropped to it, he didn't know what was inside there, it could've been poison for all he knew.
He gave a slight shake of his head, and it almost looked like Benedict was disappointed. The man pocketed the vial and glanced between the cats and Cassandra.
Then he disappeared, only for Cassandra to let out an indignant noise, the Doctor turned and blinked as Benedict held Cassandra with her arms pinned behind her back and bent over.
"Don't hurt her!" The Doctor snapped, and Benedict sighed before allowing her to stand.
"I am barely holding her man; you need to calm down." He said, but Cassandra sneered.
"Let go of me! You have been nothing but trouble!" She snapped, and Benedict chuckled.
"Well yeah, that's like my favorite thing to be." He then pushed her toward the Doctor who easily caught her mid stumble. She looked up at him before trying to back away. He grabbed her arm.
"Cassandra this is enough." He said sternly, and she huffed yanking at his hold, but it held strong.
"Oh, I don't think it is near enough for what you put me through Doctor!" She shrieked, and the Doctor opened his mouth.
"Yes, yes we get it, you were ass skin and now your sad about it, can we just move this along. Tell the authorities about the cat ladies and go?" Benedict cut in, making a 'move things along' motion with his hand.
"Oh, I think not." Casp said from behind them, causing the Doctor and Cassandra to turn. She had her lip curled back revealing her fangs. "You three aren't going anywhere." She hissed, and from behind him, the Doctor heard Benedict groan.
"Now…matron." The Doctor started, taking a step back with Cassandra as Casp and Jatt approached, claws extended. "You don't want to do this, you help people…you don't hurt them. Remember?" He tried, but Casp gave a low growl.
"The needs of the many Doctor." And with that she lurched, intent upon pouncing when an alarm blared through the facility.
The doors to the cells next to them hissed as they unlocked and the bindings of the victims released.
Casp and Jatt froze, looking around wide eyed, the Doctor turned to Benedict who stood there, holding the lever down.
"Sorry kitty. I've always preferred the needs of the few. Specifically, my needs." He said as the sick people started stumbling out of their cells.
"What did you do!?" the Doctor demanded, pulling Cassandra back as one of them reached out toward her. He took several steps back, and Cassandra stuck close looking disgusted by those who tried to reach her.
"Well, I figured you didn't want me to kill them." Benedict said, but the Doctor motioned to the various sick people who emerged from their cells.
"Yes! But they can kill so many more!" He countered, and Benedict only shrugged.
"What'd I say? Needs of the few."
"I…ugh! Just…don't touch them! Whatever you do, don't touch!" He ordered, turning and pushing Cassandra to go to the stairs and following closely after. Benedict stood there a moment longer before following.
Behind them, what was deemed as just 'flesh' was arguing with Casp and Jatt, a conversation that resulted in one of them sticking his hand into the electrical outlet…and opening all of the other cells.
"They're free. By the Goddess Santori, the flesh is free!" Jatt cried as she was backed into a corner by multiple of the victims approaching, the Doctor watched from where he was by the stairs horrified as one of the men reached out to Jatt.
"Stop the pain." He said, before a woman reached out touching Jatt, it took mere seconds for all the diseases to overwhelm her causing the cat woman to shriek and collapse into a twitching mess.
"Oh my god." Cassandra gasped and the Doctor swallowed before turning to Benedict.
"What the hell have you done?" He demanded, and Benedict looked at him.
"Excuse me, let's not forget the crazy lady currently squishing your friend's brain." He held up both hands, "just saying, I'm not the one who antagonized the cats." He defended, and the Doctor sighed deeply, tensing his jaw.
"One touch and you get every disease in the world," he turned and pointed to the woman in their company, "and I want that body safe, Cassandra." With another breath he looked around before down where the staircase descended. "We've got to go down."
"But there's thousands of them!" Cassandra protested, but the Doctor near pushed her as more of them began to approach.
"Run! Down! Down! Go down!" He snapped, and she gave in, hurrying down the stairs, the Doctor close behind and Benedict following just after.
The stairs blew past them as they continued to hurry down, one level after the other, they could hear the ever-approaching footsteps of the sick victims.
"Keep going! Go down!" The Doctor ordered intent upon heading to the basement and finding another way up. He had to think of something, and soon. Or they would all be dead.
When they finally reached the basement, everyone was panting. Cassandra ran for the lift first, only for Chip to run up to her.
"Mistress!" he called, and Cassandra spared him a glance before trying to call one of the lifts.
"Not now Chip! Ugh! Why isn't this working?!" She cried as the Doctor looked around panting a bit, but not nearly as much as his human companion.
"The lifts have closed down. That's the quarantine. Nothing's moving." He said, and Cassandra puffed a breath as the victims began to pour in from the staircase. Benedict kept out of reach and watched them carefully.
"This way!" Cassandra called, leading the group to her previous residence, the sick following close after.
It doesn't take long for the still dazed Chip to get cut off from them as more poured in.
"Someone will touch him." The Doctor breathed, watching as the sick poured in around them, isolating Chip. Benedict joined his side. As Cassandra went toward the corridor.
"Leave him! He's just a clone thing. He's only got a half-life. Come on!" the woman said, heading up the ladder. Chip, looking distressed, avoided the touch of the sick around him.
"Mistress!" he cried as the Doctor glanced between him and where Cassandra went.
"I'm sorry, I can't let her escape." He said before heading through the corridor as well. Benedict stared for a moment longer before soon following.
As they fled, all three could hear the half-life call out once more before he got out of earshot. The Doctor winced but pressed on.
All their running led them right into a back door, but when Cassandra opened it, she had to quickly shut it again as more sick were coming from there too.
"We're trapped! What am I going to do?" She wailed turning to the Doctor, he came to a stop and stared down at her.
"Well, for starters, you're going to leave that body. That psychograft is banned on every civilized planet. You're compressing Rose to death." He said, and Cassandra turned to him.
"But I've got nowhere to go. My original skin's dead." She protested and the Doctor shrugged.
"Not my problem. You can float as atoms in the air. Now, get out. Give her back to me." He ordered, and Cassandra huffed.
"You asked for it." Then she inhaled deeply, and blew the energy onto the Doctor's face, going inside him. Benedict turned to watch but didn't stop her.
"Blimey, my head. Where'd she go?" Rose asked, holding her head and swaying a bit, when she lifted her gaze she spotted Benedict as he pointed to the Doctor with pursed lips.
She looked to the time-lord and frowned as he looked over himself.
"Oh, my. This is different." He said, voice different, Rose blinked at the sight of him running his hands down his sides.
"Cassandra?" She asked, but the woman seemed too enamored with the change to pay her mind.
"Goodness me, I'm a man. Yum. So many parts. And hardly used. Oh, oh, two hearts! Oh, baby, I'm beating out a samba!" She claimed, clapping both hands over either side of her chest. Rose set her jaw and took a step toward her.
"Get out of him." She ordered, but Cassandra only grinned leaning toward Rose.
"Oo, he's slim, and a little bit foxy. You've thought so too. I've been inside your head. You've been looking. You like it." She said, pointing at Rose. However, more of the sick burst into the room and Cassandra let out a shriek.
"What do we do? What would he do?" She turned to Rose, "the Doctor, what the hell would he do?" She demanded, as they backed up more, Benedict between them and the sick. Rose sent a searching gaze about before noticing a ladder.
"Ladder." She said, and turned to the others, "we've got to get up."
Cassandra spotted it as well and shoved Rose out of the way hurrying toward it. "Out of the way, blondie!" She insisted before climbing up, Rose looked to Benedict and he turned to her briefly.
"Well, as humans say, ladies first." He motioned, and she didn't waste another second hurrying up as well. Benedict soon followed.
"Please, help us. Help." Cried a woman from below, Rose spared a look down at them, her brows pinching but she continued up.
"If you get out of the Doctor's body, he can think of something." Rose said as they climbed, but Cassandra wasn't having any of it.
"Yap, yap, yap. God, it was tedious inside your head. Hormone city." She complained, and Rose huffed.
"We're going to die if you don't-"
"What the hell?" Benedict cut her off and Rose looked down at him only to find one of the cat nurses holding his ankle.
"All our good work. All that healing. The good name of the Sisterhood. You have destroyed everything." She cried digging her claws into his pants.
"Get off him!" Rose ordered, but she didn't.
"Go and play with a ball of string." Grumbled Cassandra, however the nurse shook her head.
"Everywhere, disease. This is the human world-"
"Aw, take some credit, you grew them." Benedict chirped before holding on tightly with his hands and using his other foot to kick the woman in the face. She let out a shriek as she tumbled down into the infected people below. At contact the disease quickly overtook her, and as she tumbled, she took one or two of the sick with her as she fell screaming into the shaft. Rose watched wide eyed before recovering and turning up to Cassandra.
"Move!" She barked, and the woman didn't need any more prompting as she continued up the ladder.
"Maximum quarantine. Divert all shuttles." Called the announcer, and as they reached the next level, Cassandra couldn't open the doors. They all came to a grinding halt, with the sick fast approaching.
"Help us." Called one of the sick, and as Rose turned to look, so did Benedict.
"How can I help you if I'm dead? Hm?" he snapped, and Rose huffed a breath turning to Cassandra as the woman inside the Doctor turned to her.
"Now what do we do?" She cried, Rose huffed, switching her gaze from the sick and Cassandra.
"Use the sonic screwdriver." She ordered, and Cassandra hooked a arm around the ladder step before reaching into the Doctor's pocket and pulling out the sonic.
"You mean this thing?" She asked and Rose nodded, her eyes now on the sick quickly ascending toward them.
"Yes, I mean that thing." She snapped, but Cassandra sighed.
"Well, I don't know how. That Doctor's hidden away all his thoughts." She whined, and Benedict let out a growl below them.
"By the vortex! Would one of you do SOMETHING?!" He shouted, pulling his legs up closer as they continued to climb.
"Well I don't see you doing anything!" Cassandra bit back, only for Benedict to snap his head up to face her.
"And what pray tell do you expect me to do from down here?"
"I don't know! But you aren't help-"
"Cassandra! Get back into me, the Doctor can open it! Do it!" Rose barked, and Cassandra sighed.
"Hold on tight." Then she inhaled and forcibly exhaled, the energy following as it entered Rose. She gasped and blinked.
"Oh, chavtastic again." She turned to the Doctor, "open it!"
But he turned back to her, "not till you get out of her." He ordered, and Benedict groaned below them.
"We need the Doctor." Cassandra insisted.
"I order you to leave-"
"BY THE VORTEX!" Benedict shouted pulling their attention to him, "just get in my freaking head Cassandra! Anything so we can leave this damn shaft!"
Cassandra looked down at him and groaned before inhaling and exhaling, the energy switching between Rose and Benedict.
The Doctor pursed his lips, but that's the best he was gonna get for the moment.
"Oh, good Lord, why does he wear this damn thing?!" Cassandra demanded ripping off the blindfold, the Doctor looked down as he was sonicking, only to freeze at the sight of Benedict's wide eyes gazing back at him.
What the Doctor was met with was startlingly familiar. Harkening back to an incident a mere few days ago, when the literal galaxy swirled his companions' eyes.
He found himself staring into that very same galaxy.
Only, instead of ethereal, the expression was terrified.
Cassandra let out a scream and from her mouth burst the energy surging back into Rose.
Once there, the possessor clung to the ladder ashen.
"Ugh…damn that was crowded." Grumbled Benedict, snapping the Doctor's attention to him and the sight below him. The sick were getting too close.
Remembering their situation, and shelving this new fact for later, the Doctor sonicked opened the door and climbed up. Once on the floor above, he reached down and grabbed the…shaking hand of Cassandra, he nearly snapped at her, but as she came out pale and ashen, he refrained.
"Cassandra?" he asked, before watching as a once again blindfolded Benedict emerged before the doors closed.
"Doctor…I…" she started, her voice shaking.
"Doc?" Prompted Benedict, causing the Doctor to turn to him again, now with a whole other level of uncertainty. Benedict was gazing at the closed lift doors. "Questions can be saved for later, right now, let's figure out how to deal with these things."
The Doctor gazed at him a moment before taking a breath, "they aren't things. They are people." His eyes went to Cassandra before going back to the lift doors. "And we are going to help them." he said determinedly, before turning down to Cassandra and holding her by her shoulders.
"Cassandra? I don't know what you saw, but I need you to focus. This isn't over yet, and Rose is going to get out of this safely." He knew it was dangerous to have Cassandra in there. But if he got everything done quickly, he should be able to deal with that too before any damage happened.
Hopefully.
Cassandra nodded and sniffed, though now she spared Benedict an apprehensive, if not fearful look. One that the Doctor took a mighty note of.
As they entered ward 26 they were greeted by Clovis jumping at them with a metal stand in hand.
The Doctor stopped throwing up his hands.
"We're safe! We're safe! We're safe! We're clean! We're clean! Look, look." He showed her the front and back of his hands. Cassandra did so as well.
"Show me your skin." Clovis insisted, and the Doctor rolled up his sleeves showing her his forearms.
"Look, clean. Look, if we'd been touched, we'd be dead." He said, and she seemed to accept this and lowered the stand. He stole a breath relaxing. "So, how's it going up here? What's the status?" Accompanying his question was a few glances around everyone here seemed fine…
"There's nothing but silence from the other wards." Clovis said, pulling his attention back to her, "I think we're the only ones left. And I've been trying to override the quarantine. If I can trip a signal over to New New York, they can send a private executive squad." She said, but the Doctor shook his head and followed after her as she further entered the ward.
"You can't do that. If they forced entry, they'd break quarantine." He said, and she whipped on him causing the time-lord to halt.
"I am not dying in here." She snapped, but he just gazed back easily.
"We can't let a single particle of disease get out. There is ten million people in that city. They'd all be at risk. Now, turn that off!" He ordered, but she just stared defiantly up at him.
"Not if it gets me out."
The Doctor gazed down at her before taking a deep breath, "all right, fine. So, I have to stop you lot as well. Suits me. Rose, Benny Boy, novice Hame, everyone! Excuse me, your Grace. Get me intravenous solutions for every single disease. Move it!" he ordered, and everyone listened. Going around and collecting solution bags as he took a long rope and began to tie it around himself. As he was given the drip bags, he began to hang them off himself with Cassandra's help.
Benedict stood a bit off to the side looking at something, and he didn't notice the Doctor's brief glance at him.
"Cassandra?" he asked after a moment.
She looked up mid-hanging a bag, "yeah?"
"What did you see?" he prompted, looking to her. She went a shade paler and glanced over her shoulder at the man before back at the solution she was hanging off the Doctor.
"You know I don't like you, Doctor." She started, "but…you should be careful around him." Her eyes met his, "there is something very…unnatural about him." She swallowed thickly, "something wrong."
"Wrong how?" he pressed brow furrowing. But she shook her head taking a step back.
Then she lifted her head, the shadow passed from her face, "now…what is this for?" she asked, and the Doctor frowned before snapping back to.
"Follow me." Then he lifted his head, "Benedict?" The man's head lifted, and he turned to face him. "You coming?"
Benedict paused before glancing at something over his shoulder and then back to the Doctor, "you go on."
The Doctor frowned a beat, but he pushed it aside and nodded, heading off with Cassandra close behind.
Once the Doctor pried open the lift doors, he took a step back with a breath.
"The lifts aren't working." Cassandra said, but the Doctor turned to her.
"Not moving. Different thing. Here we go." He took a few steps back before putting his sonic between his teeth.
"But you're not going to-" she was cut off as he sprang into a sprint and jumped into the open elevator shaft. For a moment he was free fall, but then he grabbed onto the lift cable grunting as he impacted into it.
"What do you think you're doing?" Cassandra demanded from where she was at the lift doors.
"I'm going down! Come on!" He beckoned as he attached a slider onto the cable, it locked into place with a click.
Cassandra, however, took a step back.
"Not in a million years." She breathed, but the Doctor turned to her.
"I need another pair of hands. What do you think? If you're so desperate to stay alive, why don't you live a little?" He asked, raising an eyebrow to her, she still looked uncertain.
"Seal the door!" Clovis called from the ward causing Cassandra to look over her shoulder and stumbling toward the lift doors.
"No!" She shouted before turning to look at the Doctor, making a distressed noise and jumping with a shriek.
She landed on his back and clung for dear life. "You're completely mad. I can see why she likes you." She breathed, and the Doctor grinned.
"Going down!" He yelled before releasing a clasp on the wheel, they were sent rushing down and Cassandra's scream soon followed.
However, as they neared the elevator he brought the wheel to a grinding halt, managing to land them gently atop the elevator. He got his feet down first, and Cassandra soon got off his back.
"Well, that's one way to lose weight." Cassandra gasped as the Doctor crouched by the hatch and started sonicking it.
"Now, listen. When I say so, take hold of that lever." He ordered pointing at a large lever.
But Cassandra shook her head, "there's still a quarantine down there, we can't-"
"Hold that lever! I'm cooking up a cocktail. I know a bit about medicine myself." He cut her off before opening the hatch and dumping the contents of the bags into the disinfectant tank. "Now, that lever's going to resist. But keep it in position. Hold onto it with everything you've got." He ordered, moving to the larger hatch and prying it open.
"What about you?" Cassandra asked as she grasped the lever. The Doctor looked up from where he was crouched and grinned at her.
"I've got an appointment. The Doctor is in." With that he dropped into the lift, landing on his feet.
Once inside, he used his sonic to open up the doors, the infected people turned spotting him as he beckoned them in.
"I'm in here! Come on!" He said, waving them inside, they started coming forward, and once some were inside he turned to look at the ceiling, "pull that lever!"
Once he gave the order he turned back to the infected that continued inside, "come and get me. Come on!" He called, hopping in place as he did his best to encourage them. This would be a good day, everything would work out. It would. "I'm in here! Come on!" He called them and just as he hoped….
"Commence stage one disinfection." Called the voice from the ceiling.
"Hurry up! Come on!" He called, and just seconds after the solution burst from the ceiling like a reverse geyser. He was soaked, but so were the infected who entered. The Doctor watched with joy as their boils and sickness vanished within seconds of the water contacting them.
"All they want to do is pass it on. Pass it on!" He told them, gently reaching out to the ones who were cured and prompting them back out, they reemerged and began to grasp ahold of the others, spreading the cure.
"Pass it on!" He called again and they did, the cured ones went around grasping and touching their infected comrades. Steam radiated off them as the diseases vanished.
As the process continued the Doctor turned up to Cassandra who was looking down from the top of the lift, he offered a hand and helped her down to the lift. The ceiling was no longer surging the solution but just dripping it. That was fine though, it was already being spread.
"What did they pass on? Did you kill them? All of them?" she asked, looking out at all the various disease-free people milling about.
"No. That's your way of doing things." He said, causing her to glance at him as he entered the lobby. "I'm the Doctor, and I cured them."
A woman came up and hugged him around the waist causing the Doctor to smile and hug her in return, "that's right. Hey, there we go, sweetheart. Go to him. Go on, that's it. That's it." He guided her toward one of the others whom she hugged unabashedly, one that the man returned.
The Doctor turned to his companion. "It's a new sub-species, Cassandra. A brand new form of life. New humans! Look at them. Look! Grown by cats, kept in the dark, fed by tubes, but completely, completely alive. You can't deny them, because you helped create them. The human race just keeps on going, keeps on changing. Life will out! Ha!" He laughed with a bright smile.
Today was a good day.
They finally made it back up to the ward a little later.
"This is the NNYPD. Please step away from the shuttles." Called an officer using a speaker but the Doctor and Cassandra continued on.
"All staff will present themselves to the officers for immediate arrest. I repeat, immediate arrest. All new life forms will be catalogued and taken into care. All visitors to the hospital will be required to make a statement to the NNYPD." The announcer said but the Doctor didn't stop, he headed over to the last patient around.
"The Face of Boe!" He greeted, picking up his pace, he noticed Benedict lingering nearby and looked up at their entrance.
"You were supposed to be dying." The Doctor said, and a slight chuckle came from Boe.
"There are better things to do today. Dying can wait." Boe said, and next to him Cassandra grimaced.
"Oh, I hate telepathy. Just what I need, a head full of big face." She grumbled, but he shushed her and turned back to the head.
"I have grown tired with the universe, Doctor, but you have taught me to look at it anew." Boe explained and the Doctor took a step closer raising an eyebrow.
"There are legends, you know, saying that you're millions of years old." That earned a chuckle from the head.
"There are? That would be impossible."
The Doctor let out a breath and crouched before the face. "Wouldn't it just. I got the impression there was something you wanted to tell me." He hinted, and Boe looked at him.
"A great secret."
"So the legend says."
"It can wait."
The Doctor's shoulders dropped, "oh, does it have to?"
Boe smiled, "we shall meet again, Doctor, for the third time, for the last time, and the truth shall be told. Until that day." And with that, he beamed away, vanishing from sight.
The Doctor sighed, "that is enigmatic. That, that is, that is textbook enigmatic." He sighed again before turning to Cassandra, "and now for you."
She turned to him and shifted, "but everything's happy. Everything's fine. Can't you just leave me?" She asked clasping her hands before her, the Doctor gazed down at her seriously.
"You've lived long enough. Leave that body and end it, Cassandra." He ordered, she however shifted in place again.
"I don't want to die." She whined, and he gave a slight shrug.
"No one does."
Cassandra however stomped a foot, "help me." She whined again, but the Doctor shook his head.
"I can't."
"Mistress!" A vaguely familiar voice called suddenly. Causing their attention to go to the half-life from before.
Cassandra blinked, "oh, you're alive." She said, and the man came up to her gasping.
"I kept myself safe for you, mistress." He said, and Cassandra paused before tilting her head.
"A body. And not just that, a volunteer." She hummed, but the Doctor turned to her.
"Don't you dare. He's got a life of his own." He asserted, however the half-life whipped on him.
"But I worship the mistress. I welcome her." He said spreading his arms, the Doctor shook his head as he saw Cassandra inhale.
"You can't, Cassandra, you-" he cut himself off as she transferred over to the half-life and he had to catch Rose who stumbled "Oh! You all right?" She tried to stand only to fall back into him, "whoa! Okay?" He asked and Rose looked up at him and smiled a bit.
"Yeah. Hello!" She greeted back, and he smiled, relieved.
"Hello. Welcome back."
Rose smiled before then looking around, "where is…"
"Oh, sweet Lord. I'm a walking doodle." Cassandra whined, and after helping Rose straighten, the Doctor turned to her.
"You can't stay in there. I'm sorry, Cassandra, but that's not fair. I can take you to the city. They can build you a skin tank and you can stand trial for what you've done." He offered, and Cassandra turned to him letting out a breath.
"Well, that would be rather dramatic. Possibly my finest hour, and certainly my finest hat, but I'm afraid we don't have time. Poor little Chip is only a half-life, and he's been through so much. His heart is racing so. He's failing." She paused her eyes widening, "I don't think he's going to last." Then her knees gave out, the Doctor lurched forward and caught her before she fully fell.
"Are you all right?" He asked and she gasped looking around wide eyed.
"I'm fine. I'm dying, but that's fine." She insisted, as the Doctor crouched next to her.
"I can take you to the city."
But Cassandra shook her head, "no, you won't. Everything's new on this planet. There's no place for Chip and me any more. You're right, Doctor. It's time to die, and that's good." She said, though her voice tremored. The Doctor looked to Rose who nodded. Then he stood, helping Cassandra stand.
"Come on. There's one last thing I can do." He helped her over to the lift.
Rose however gave pause and looked over her shoulder at Benedict who had been lingering in the background.
"You uh…said you needed help right?"
The man looked up and then followed after the Doctor, Rose gave pause watching him. Before following as well.
It took a bit to get back to the Tardis, and Cassandra was looking worse for wear.
But with both the Doctor and Rose helping her. They managed to get the dying woman to the Tardis.
Benedict however froze at the sight of the box. Staring up at it wide eyed.
Once Cassandra was sat down and the Doctor was putting in the coordinates, Rose noticed the missing person and hurried back outside, leaning out the door.
"Benedict!" She called, before pausing at his frozen form. "Benedict?" She pressed, stepping outside of the Tardis.
"Rose!" The Doctor called, and she glanced over her shoulder before going to the frozen man.
"Hey, we don't have a lot of time, why don't we come back-"
"No." The man cut her off, before taking a breath and heading inside. Rose watched him go before frowning and following in after. This time the door shutting behind her.
The wheezing of the Tardis indicated their arrival. Though the ride there had been quiet and…awkward.
Cassandra was wheezing in the captain's chair, the Doctor had been piloting quietly, though he frequented glances to those around him.
Most of his glances favored Benedict. As the man stood off to the side on the walkway, looking around stiffly and holding onto the railing.
Even Rose noticed the tension rolling off the occupant, so she decidedly stuck close to the Doctor.
Thankfully, they had arrived quickly, and with the help of the Doctor and Rose, Cassandra exited the Tardis.
They entered what looked to be some high-class restaurant, one Rose recognized from the film Cassandra had been playing. She wasn't sure how the Doctor knew but it warmed her heart when she realized what he was doing.
"Oh no, don't. Stop it. Simply not true. Tiny. The beaches were so dismal, and the mosquitoes were…" Cassandra's old voice trailed off as she wandered off to speak with more guests.
The current Cassandra stood on her own, gazing at her old self from under the hooded coat the Doctor had provided her.
Seeming to realize what the Doctor was doing Cassandra turned to him, "Thank you." She breathed softly, and the Doctor nodded in the direction of her old self.
"Just go. And don't look back." He said, and Rose leaned in with a small smile.
"Good luck." Cassandra gave her a smile before heading over, approaching her old self, as she spoke with people around her.
"Excuse me, Lady Cassandra." Current Cassandra gently cut in, and her old self turned to face her.
"I'm sorry, I don't need anything right now. I'm fine, thank you." She dismissed, however the older Cassandra stepped forward.
"No, I just wanted to say you look beautiful." She said, and that earned a smile from her past self, a well-rehearsed smile.
"Well, that's very kind, you strange little thing." She said giving Chips body a once over, "thank you very much."
But present Cassandra pressed on, "I mean it. You look so beautiful." She emphasized, and the younger Cassandra blinked, startled by the insistence. Her eyes widening as the plastered smile melted away.
"Thank you." She breathed, and…that's when present Cassandra collapsed.
Once it was clear that she had died, the Doctor gently nudged Rose, pulling her gaze from the scene. He nodded back to the Tardis, and she, sparing one last glance back watched as the younger Cassandra cradled her older self-panicked. Though…even as she called for aid, no one came.
Rose pursed her lips but followed the Doctor back into the Tardis.
Once back inside, they found Benedict standing before the console staring up at the glowing cylinder hands in his pockets.
The Doctor stopped a moment causing Rose to do the same.
"So…I suppose we should talk." The Doctor said, his voice guarded, something Rose took note of.
Benedict didn't look to them, just stared up at the cylinder, "I've spent…a long time trying to find you." He muttered, an edge in his voice that Rose tensed at.
"What do you want?" The Doctor asked, walking over to the console, he soon stood across from the blindfolded man. Rose stayed a bit back, remaining on the walkway as she leaned against the railing and watched both men carefully.
Benedict let out a slight scoff, "what I want is very impossible, son of Galifrey." He finally turned to look at the Doctor, head tilted, "and I doubt you'd be a big fan of it."
The Doctor took him in a moment, "what are you?"
Benedict chuckled slightly before dipping his head and scratching at his blindfold. "I doubt you'd believe me if I told you."
"Try me."
A smile crossed over Benedict's face, and he shrugged, looking up again, "alright. There isn't really a translation for what I am."
"Then give me a roundabout."
Benedict gazed at him, before jutting a thumb to the Tardis console, "I'm like her."
Rose frowned in confusion, but decidedly kept it to herself, the tension was too thick in the room anyways.
"Like…the Tardis?" The Doctor asked slowly. "The Tardis is a machine-"
"My sister is not a machine you bastard!" That was snapped out with so much venom Rose's hair stood on end.
The Doctor, however, better registered the man's words, as he stared at Benedict for a moment. "What?"