Planet Of The Ood
The three of us were being jostled around the console room while the TARDIS finished materializing.
"Set the controls to random!" said The Doctor, "Mystery tour."
"Outside that door could be any planet," I said, "anywhere, anywhen in the whole wide…" I looked at Donna, she looked a little shaky, "are you all right?"
"Terrified," said Donna with a smile, "I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet…"
"We could always take you home," said The Doctor with a smile.
"Yeah, don't laugh at me," said Donna.
"We know how feel," I said as I walked up to her.
"Really?" asked Donna.
"Oh yes," said The Doctor, "everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the joy, the wonder - We get that!"
"Seriously? After all this time?"
"Yeah! Why do you think we keep going?"
"Oh! All right, then, This is barmy!" said Donna as we walked to the door. The Doctor grabbed his coat and I grabbed my fedora. "I was born in Chiswick," continued Donna, "I've only ever done package holidays. Now I'm here. This is- I mean, it's- I dunno. It's all so- I don't even know what the word is!" Donna opened the door to reveal a beautiful snowy landscape. The snow was falling and the wind was howling, "Oh, I've got the word. 'Freezing'." she said, as she stepped out.
I was feeling pretty comfortable because of my Time Lord physiology. The Doctor and I weren't as susceptible to cold as Donna was, "Snow! Ah! Real snow! Proper snow at last! That's more like it. Lovely. What do you think?" asked The Doctor.
"Very nice," I said
"Bit cold," shivered Donna.
"Look at the view!" said my uncle as we looked over the ice and snow covered barren landscape.
"Beautiful," I said.
"Yep," said Donna as she continued to shiver, "A beautiful... cold view."
"Millions of planets, millions of galaxies and we're on this one," said The Doctor, "Molto bene! Belissimo! Says Donna, born in Chiswick. You've had a life of work and sleep," we walked away from Donna and the TARDIS. I turned and watched Donna go back inside to get a jacket. I smiled as I listed to my uncle's speech, "telly and rent, takeaway dinners, birthdays and Christmases, and two weeks holiday a year and then you end up here! Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How about that, Donna?" He turned around and saw that Donna was gone, "Donna?"
Donna came back out wearing a warm coat with a fur-lined hood, "Sorry. You were saying?" she asked.
"Better?" he asked.
"Lovely, thanks."
"Comfy?" I asked.
"Yep."
"Can you hear anything inside that?" asked my uncle.
"Pardon?" asked Donna.
"Right. I was saying, citizen of the Earth-"
Then before my uncle could repeat his speech, a rocket flew over our heads, "A rocket." said Donna, "Blimey, a real, proper rocket. Now that's what I call a spaceship," She slapped my uncle on the arm, "You've got a box - he's got a Ferrari. Come on, let's see where it's going."
Donna started to follow the rocket. The Doctor looked a little surprised and a bit upset at Donna's comment. I wrapped my arm around him, "Don't worry… I think the TARDIS is much cooler than that rocket…" He looked at me and smiled then we went to catch up to Donna.
We continued walking through the snow, laughing and having a good time. Then all of the sudden I could hear some soft ethereal music.
"Uncle Theta…" I said telepathically, "can you hear that?"
"Yeah…" he replied. "Hold on," he said, out loud. He looked at Donna, "Can you hear that? Donna, take your hood down."
"What?" asked Donna, as she lowered her hood.
"That noise, it's like a song." he said, as he started looking around.
Just then I saw something half buried in the snow, "Over there!" As I got closer, I saw it was a pale alien, with a slightly large head, tentacles around its mouth, dressed in a gray jumpsuit. It was holding a small orb in its hand with a wire that connected to it within its tentacles. "What is it?" asked Donna, as The Doctor and I knelt down besides the alien.
"An Ood. He's called an Ood," as he took out his stethoscope.
"But its face…" said Donna.
"Donna, not now." said The Doctor.
"It's a 'he', not an 'it'." I said.
"Sorry." said Donna, as she knelt down on the other side.
"Give me a hand," said The Doctor.
The Doctor started moving the stethoscope around the Ood's chest, "I don't know where the heart is. I don't know if he's got a heart. Talk to him. Keep him going."
Donna looked at the Ood, "It's all right. We've got you. Um... what's your name?"
"Designated Ood Delta 50," said the Ood.
Donna picked up the translator ball, "My name's Donna."
"You don't need to do that," I said
"Sorry. Oh, God- this is the Doctor. Just what you need - a doctor. Couldn't be better, eh?
"You've been shot," said The Doctor.
"The circle-" said Delta 50.
"No, don't try to talk," said Donna.
"The circle must be broken."
"The circle?" I asked, "What do you mean? Delta 50, what circle? Delta 50? What circle?"
Delta 50 opened his eyes and they were red. We all scrambled back away from him as he growled and sat up. Then, the growl faded away, then he collapsed and died. "He's gone," said Donna, as she walked toward the body.
"Careful," I said.
She placed a hand on his chest, "There you are, sweetheart." Then she stroked his head, "We were too late. What do we do, do we bury him?"
"The snow will take care of that." said The Doctor.
"Who was he? What's an Ood?"
"They're servants - of humans in the 42nd century. Mildly telepathic."
"That's what was the song we heard," I said, "it was his mind calling out."
"I couldn't hear anything," said Donna as she stood, "He sang as he was dying."
I nodded and The Doctor said, "His eyes turned red."
"What's that mean?" asked Donna.
"Trouble. Come on." The Doctor started to walked away, "The Ood are harmless and completely benign. Except the last time I met them, there was this force, like a stronger mind, powerful enough to take them over."
"What sort of force?"
"Long story."
"Long walk."
"It was the devil."
"If you're gonna take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up."
"Must be something different this time, though," I said, "Something closer to home."
"A-ha!" shouted The Doctor as he looked ahead. It was some large industrial complex, "Civilization!"
We were able to talk our way past the guards and we saw a group of people standing just outside the complex. "My name's Solana, Head of Marketing," we heard a young lady introducing herself, "I'm sure we've all spoken on the vid-phone. Now if you'd like to follow me-"
"Sorry, sorry! We're late! Don't mind us! Hello. The guards let us through." said The Doctor.
"And you would be-" asked Solana.
"The Doctor, Donna Noble, and Teddy Duncan," said my uncle as he showed her his psychic paper.
"Representing the Noble Corporation, PLC Limited, Intergalactic," said Donna.
"Must have fallen off my list," said Solana, "My apologies, it won't happen again. Now then, Dr Noble, Mrs Noble, if you'd like to come with me."
I smiled when Solana implied that my uncle and Donna were married, "Oh, no, no, no. We're not married." said The Doctor.
"We're so not married." said Donna.
"Never."
"Never ever."
"Of course," said Solana, " Here is your information pack. Vouchers inside," she handed my uncle the pack, "Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm."
Just then an alarm started to blare through the complex, "What's that?" I asked, "Sounds like an alarm."
"It's just a siren for the end of the work shift. Now then, this way! Quick as you can!"
Then we were escorted inside. We were taken into what could be best described an Ood show room. There were some Ood standing on small pedestals. At the head of the room Solana was standing a podium in front of a large screen that covered the wall, "As you can see," said Solana, "the Ood are happy to serve and we keep them in facilities of the highest standards. Here at the Double-O - that's Ood Operations - we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe and educated. We don't just breed the Ood, we make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood... but an extension of us? If your Ood is happy... Then you'll be happy too." The others in the room started to applaud. She stepped down from the podium and continued her pitch, "I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting" she walked up to the first Ood, "How are you today, Ood?"
"I'm perfectly well, thank you," said the Ood in its normal voice.
She walked up to the next Ood and said, "Or perhaps after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen. How are you, Ood?"
"All the better for seeing you," said the Ood in a sultry female voice.
She walked up to another Ood and said, "And the comedy classic option. Ood, you dropped something."
"D'oh!" said the Ood as Homer Simpson.
The others in the room chuckled.
"All that for only five additional credits. The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."
The Doctor and I put on our glasses and we headed to a control panel. My uncle typed some commands into the panel as he brought up our location in space. Donna came up to us with a drink in her hand, "Ah, got it," said the uncle, "The Ood-Sphere. I've been to this solar system before - years ago. Ages. Close to the planet Sense-Sphere. Let's widen it out…"
I looked at the projection, "The year 4126 and that is the Second Great and Bountiful Human Empire."
"4126? It's 4126? I'm in 4126?" said Donna.
"Pretty good, isn't it?"
"What's the Earth like now?"
"A bit full, but you see, the empire stretches out across three galaxies."
"It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but... back home, the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live - global warming, flooding, all the bees disappearing.
"Yeah. That thing about the bees is odd."
"But look at us - we're everywhere. Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers or more like a virus?"
"Sometimes I wonder," said The Doctor. I lightly hit him on the shoulder. He looked at me and smiled.
"What are the red dots?" asked Donna.
"Ood distribution centers."
"Across three galaxies? Don't the Ood get a say in this?" She walked over to the one of the Ood, "Um... sorry, but…" she tapped it gently and it turned and looked at her, "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"
"I do not understand, miss," it said.
"Why do you say, 'miss'? Do I look single?"
"Back to the point," said The Doctor.
"Yeah," said Donna, "What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there any Ood running wild somewhere like wildebeest? "
"All Ood are born to serve. Otherwise we would die," said the Ood
"You can't have started like that. Before the humans…" the Ood's head jerked slightly, "what were you like?"
"The circle."
"What do you mean?" asked The Doctor, "What circle?"
"The circ- the circle- is-"
"Ladies and gentlemen," said Solana, "All Ood to hospitality stations, please."
The Ood left. Then, The Doctor and I took off our glasses and he reached into his pocket and took out a map of the complex, "I've had enough of the schmoozing," he said, "Do you two fancy going off the beaten track?"
"A Rough Guide to the Ood-Sphere? Works for me." said Donna.
"Sounds good." I said.
We wandered through the complex and found a locked gate. I used my sonic to open it. "Ood Shift 8 commencing," we heard from over a P.A."I repeat, Ood Shift 8 commencing."
We stepped through the gate, then climbed up some steps and look down into an open area where the Ood were being marched. One of the Ood fells to its knees. One of the guards walked over to it, "Get up. I said, get up!" he cracked a whip at the Ood.
"Servants? They're slaves." said Donna.
"Get up!" said the guard. The Ood got to its feet, "March!"
"Last time I met the Ood, I never thought, never asked…" said The Doctor.
"That's not like you," I said.
"I was busy. So busy I couldn't save them. I had to let the Ood die. I reckon I owe them one."
We saw a nearly bald, older man in a suit walk across the space with a sciences and an Ood. "That looks like the boss," whispered Donna.
"Let's keep out of his way," said The Doctor, "Come on."
We walked down the stairs and into the open space. We started wondering around while my uncle and I looked at the map. All of the sudden we heard a loud whistle. We both duck and turned around. We saw Donna standing by a door smiling. "Where did you learn to whistle?" I asked.
"West Ham, every Saturday," she replied.
The Doctor used his sonic to open the door and it slid open. We walked inside and it was filled with shipping containers. Above us was a large metal claw that moved along a track in the ceiling, lifting and moving the containers. "Ood Export. You see?" said my uncle as he pointed to the claw, "Lifts up the containers, takes 'em to the rocket ships. Ready to be flown out all over the three galaxies."
"What, you mean- These containers are full of…"
"What do you think?" he said, He opened the nearest container and we stood in the doorway. The Ood inside stood inside in formation.
"Oh, it stinks," said Donna, "How many of 'em do you think there are in each one?"
"A hundred? Maybe More?" I said.
"A great, big empire, built on slavery."
"It's not so different from your time," said The Doctor.
"Oi, I haven't got slaves."
"Who do you think made your clothes?"
"Is that why you travel round with a human at your side? It's not so you can show them the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots."
"Sorry."
"Well, don't. Spaceman." my uncle smirked, and I smiled too. Donna looked at the Ood, "I don't understand, the door was open- Why didn't you just run away?"
"For what reason?" said one of the Ood.
"You could be free."
"I do not understand the concept."
"What is it with that Persil ball? I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why do they have to be all plugged in?"
I spoke up, "Ood, tell me, does 'the circle' mean anything to you?"
"The circle must be broken," said all the Ood in the container.
"Whoa, that is creepy." said Donna.
"But what is it?" I asked, "What is the circle?"
"The circle must be broken." repeated all the Ood.
"Why?"
"So that we can sing."
Just then an alarm went off. "That's us, come on!" said The Doctor. Then we started to run through the maze of shipping containers. We ran for a little bit and then The Doctor stopped, when he did we both realized that Donna wasn't with us, "Where did she go?"
Then we heard a guard in the distance, "Stay where you are!" Then we continued to run, "Donna? Where are you?!" I called out.
The Doctor stopped and he pressed himself against one of the containers. We couldn't hear the footsteps of the guards anymore. "Where did they go?" I whispered.
Then, we heard the sound of the claw starting to move. We started to run as the claw started to chase after us. The claw came smashing down, narrow lying missing us. The claw started to gain on us as we began to get tired. The claw came down behind us again. But this time it knocked us off our feet.. We got up and continued running. Then, the claw knocks the two of us over some barrels and we landed on our backs. We laid there watching as the claw got closer to us. Then all of the sudden it stopped. The four guards ran up to us, they pulled us to our feet and marched us over to a container. We could hear Donna's voice coming from inside, "Doctor, Teddy, get me out of here!"
"If you don't do what she says, you're really in trouble," I said, :Not from us - from her."
"Unlock the container," said a guard.
A couple of guards opened the door and Donna ran out and hugged us, "Doctor! Teddy!"
"There we go, safe and sound," said The Doctor.
"Never mind about me, what about them?" asked Donna as Ood with red eyes walked out of the container and started killing guards with their translators.
"Red alert! Fire!" called out the head guard as the three of us escaped, "Shoot to kill!"
We made it outside and found that Solana was with us. We stopped when we were far enough away, "If the people back on Earth knew what was going on here…" said Donna.
"Don't be stupid. Of course they know," said Solana.
"They know how you treat the Ood?"
"They don't ask. Same thing."
"Solana, the Ood aren't born like this,' I said, "They can't be. A species born to serve could never evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"
"That has nothing to do with me," she said.
"Why? Because you don't ask?"
"That's Dr. Ryder's territory."
"Where is he? What part of the complex?" asked The Doctor as he held out the map, "I could help with the red-eye. Now show me!"
SOLANA
(after long pause)
Solana thought for a moment before pointing to the map, "There, beyond the red section."
"Come with us," I said, "You've seen the warehouse. You can't agree with all this. You know this place better than us, you could help."
She looked at us and shouted, "They're over here! Guards, they're over here!
That was our cue to run as we saw the guards getting closer. We changed directions when we saw guards heading our way, "This way!" shouted the Doctor. We stopped outside another warehouse and I took out my sonic, "Doctor, can you hear it? We didn't need the map."
I started to unlock the door, "We should've listened!" said my uncle as the door open and we went inside.
Once we were all in I closed the door and locked it behind us, "Does that mean we're locked in?" asked Donna.
"Listen. Listen, listen, listen, listen." said my uncle as he took a flashight out of his pocket and we went downstairs. When we got there we found cages, "
I winced as I heard the song getting stronger, "Oh, my head." I said.
"What is it?" asked Donna.
"Can't you hear it?" I asked, "The singing?"
The Doctor turned on the lights and we saw a group of Ood huddled together in one of the cages. "They look different to the others," said Donna.
"That's because they're natural-born Ood," I said, "Unprocessed."
"Before they're adapted to slavery," said The Doctor, "Unspoiled." we squatted in front of the cage, "That's their song."
"I can't hear it," said Donna.
"Do you want to?" I asked.
She faced me, "Yeah."
"It's the song of captivity," said The Doctor.
"Let me hear it."
"Face me," said the Doctor, she turned toward him and he placed his fingertips to her temples, "Open your mind. That's it. Hear it, Donna... Hear the music."
Donna gasped and turned toward the Ood in the cage. I could see the tears running down her face. I had to admit I had some tears in my eyes as well. The song was so beautiful but I could tell how much pain was behind it, "Take it away." said Donna as her voice broke.
"You sure?"
"I can't bear it." The Doctor repeated the process, "I'm sorry." she said.
"It's okay."
"But you two can still hear it."
"All the time." I said.
The Doctor used his sonic on the Ood cage. We heard nose coming from upstairs. "They're breaking in," said Donna.
"Ah, let 'em," said my uncle as we went in. The Ood tried to shuffle away. We all kelt down.
I noticed that the Ood were holding something in their hands, "What are you holding?" I asked in a soft soothing tone. One of the Ood look at me shyly. I smiled, "It's OK. I'm a friend." I put my hand on my chest, "Teddy," Then, I pointed at my uncle "Doctor,"Then I pointed at Donna. "Donna, friend. Look at me… Let me see." The Ood moved closer, "That's it. That's it, go on. Go on." It held out his cupped hand and removed the top one to reveal a small pink lump.
"Is that-?" asked Donna.
"It's a brain. A hindbrain," said The Doctor, "The Ood are born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it process memory and emotion."
You get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna anymore," I said, "You'd be like an Ood. A processed Ood."
"So the company... cuts off their brains."
"And stitches on the translator," said The Doctor, with venom in his voice
"Like a lobotomy," said Donna, "I spent all that time looking for you two because I thought it would be so wonderful out here. I want to go home."
I looked at Donna, heartbroken. I felt bad that she had to see this. There were so many wonderful things still to show her. Before The Doctor or I could say anything. The head of the organization and a couple of guards came in. "They're with the Ood, sir." said one of the guards.
We stood up and the Doctor slammed the cage door shut. "What are you gonna do, then? Arrest us? Lock us up? Well, you're too late! Hah!"
The guards took us out of the cage, up to the executive office and handcuffed us to a pole, "Why don't you just come out and say it?" said balding man we saw before, his name was Mr. Halpen, "FOTO activists."
"If that's what Friends of the Ood are trying to prove, then yes." I said.
"The Ood were nothing without us - just animals roaming around on the ice."
"That's because you can't hear them." said The Doctor.
"They welcomed it! It's not as if they put up a fight." said Mr. Halpen.
"You idiot!" spat Donna, "They're born with their brain in their hands, don't you see? That makes them peaceful! They've got to be because a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."
"Nice reasoning," I said.
"Thank you," said Donna.
"The system's worked for 200 years," said Mr. Halpen, "All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection is about to be sterilized." then he lifted up his comm. link, "Mr. Kess, how do we stand?"
"Canisters primed, sir," said Mr. Kess, "As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it 200 marks... and counting."
"You're going to gas them?!" I shouted.
"Kill the livestock. The classic foot-and-mouth solution. Still works." said Mr. Halpen. Then the alarms started blaring again, "What the hell?" He ran out of the office, with his scientist and Ood following behind.
We heard gunshots and an announcement calling out over the loudspeaker, "Emergency status! Emergency status!"
The three of them came back in a short time later, and Mr. Halpen said, "Change of plan."
"No reports of trouble off-world, sir," said the scientist, "It's still contained to the Ood-Sphere."
"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads."
"What's happening?" asked The Doctor.
"Everything you wanted, Doctor. No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilized so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood."
Then he headed for the door and my uncle said, "But, Mr Halpen, there's something else, isn't there? Something we haven't seen."
Mr. Halpen stopped at the door, "What do you mean?" asked Donna.
"The creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hindbrain, they'd be at war with themselves. There's got to be something else, a third element. Am I right?"
"Again, so clever."
"It's got to be connected to the red-eye," I said, "What is it?"
"It won't exist for very much longer. Enjoy your Ood."
Mr. Halpen, the scientist, the Ood and the guards left. Once they were gone we struggled to try and free ourselves. "Well, do something!" shouted Donna, "You're the one with all the tricks! You must've met Houdini!"
"These are really good handcuffs!" said The Doctor.
"Oh, I'm glad of that. At least we've got quality!"
Then the door opened and we stopped struggling when we saw three red-eyed Ood enter the room and start to move toward us.
The door opens and THE DOCTOR and DONNA stop their struggles when they see the Ood standing there. The Ood advance.
"Teddy, Doctor, Donna, friends," shouted The Doctor and I.
"The circle must be broken!" said Donna.
We repeated ourselves over and over again as the Ood got closer and closer. The Ood lifted their translator balls toward us but stopped just inches away from our foreheads. Then, the translator balls switched off and the Ood held their heads in their hands. One of them lifted its head, its eyes were back to normal. "Teddy. Doctor. Donna. Friends." said the Ood.
"That's me! Us!" said Donna.
"Yes, that's us!" I said, "Friends! "
"Oh, yes!" cheered The Doctor.
The Ood released us from the cuffs. Then we ran out of the door, down the stairs and across the compound, dodging the fighting as we ran. The Doctor paused and looked around trying to get his bearings, "I don't know where it is! I don't know where they've gone!"
"What are we looking for?!" asked Donna.
"The missing link," I said as we continued to run, " It might be underground, like some sort of cave or a cavern or…"
Then we were thrown off our feet by an explosion behind us. "All right?" asked The Doctor.
"Yeah," I said, Donna nodded. When the smoked cleared, we saw the Ood that was accompanying Mr. Halpen standing there. The Ood took us to another warehouse. The Doctor used his sonic on a control panel and the door opened.
We went inside and down some stairs to a room bathed in red light then we walked over to a railing and looked down. We saw a giant brain being kept with in an energy field, "The Ood brain. Now it all makes sense," said The Doctor.
"That's the missing link," I said, "The third element, binding them together. Forebrain, hindbrain and this. The telepathic center. It's a shared mind... connecting all the Ood in song."
Then a gun clicked we turned and saw Halpen holding a gun on us. "Cargo. I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the sheds. Smaller business. Much more manageable without livestock."
"He's mined the area," said the scientist.
"You're gonna kill it." said Donna.
"They found that thing centuries ago beneath the northern glacier," said Mr. Halpen.
"Those pylons," said The Doctor to Donna.
"In a circle. 'The circle must be broken.'" she said.
"Dampening the telepathic field, stopping the Ood from connecting for 200 years," I said.
"And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better," said Mr. Halpen.
"My place is at your side, sir," said Sigma. He moved to stand beside Mr. Halpen.
Mr. Halpen chucked, "Still subservient. Good Oo—" Something didn't seem right with Mr. Halpen
"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" asked Donna.
"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt," I said, "The subconscious reaching out."
"But the process was too slow, had to be accelerated," said the scientist, "You should never have given me access to the controls, Mr Halpen. I lowered the barrier to its minimum. Friends of the Ood, sir. It's taken me ten years to infiltrate the company. And I succeeded."
"Yes. Yes, you did," Then Mr. Halpen pushed him over the railing. He fell onto the Ood brain and was absorbed by it.
"You... murdered him," said Donna.
"Very observant, Ginger," sneared Mr. Halpen, "Now then, can't say I've ever shot anyone before... can't say I'm gonna like it, but, uh, it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still…" He held up his gun in preparation of firing
"Would you like a drink, sir?" asked Sigma.
Mr. Halpen laughed, "I think hair loss is the least of my problems right now, thanks."
Sigma stood in front of us and held out a glass, "Please have a drink, sir."
The Doctor put a hand on Sigma's shoulder.
"If- if you're gonna stand in their way, I'll shoot you too," threatened Mr. Halpen. But he seemed to have trouble speaking the last words, almost like he was drunk and slurring his words.
"Please have a drink, sir," said Sigma.
"Have-have you…" Mr. Halpen gasped, "poisoned me?"
"Natural Ood must never kill, sir."
"What is that stuff?" asked The Doctor.
"Ood-graft suspended in a biological compound." said Sigma.
Mr. Halpen didn't look to well, "What the hell does that mean?"
"Oh dear," I said.
"Tell me!"
"It's Funny thing, the subconscious," I began, "It takes all sorts of shapes. It came out in the red-eye as revenge. It came out in the rabid Ood as anger. And then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy focused on Ood Sigma. How's the hair loss, Mr Halpen?"
"What have you done?" gasped Mr. Halpen.
"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time," said my uncle, "And now you're standing next to the Ood brain. Mr. Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."
"What have you-I'm... not-" he said. Sigma stepped out of the way and Mr. Halpen dropped the gun. He gripped his head and cried in agony. The pulled at his scalp and it started to peel away revealing an Ood head underneath and tentacles started to come out of his mouth.
"They-they turned him into an Ood?" asked Donna.
"Yup," said The Doctor.
"He's an Ood."
"I noticed," I said.
Ood Halpen made a strange gurgling noise before coughing up his secondary brain, "He has become Ood-kind and we will take care of him," said Sigma.
"It's weird, being with you two," said Donna, "I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."
"It's better that way," I said, "People who know for certain tend to be like Mr. Halpen."
A loud beeping sounded and the Doctor ran to the railing, "Oh!" he reached over and turned off the detonation packs, "That's better." Then he turned back around, "And now... Ood Sigma, will you allow me the honor?"
"It is yours, Doctor"
"Oh yes!" said The Doctor with a big grin. He went over to the equipment powering the field, "Stifled for over 200 years but not anymore. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!" He pulled down a lever and the field around the brain shut off. The moment the field was down. The song of the Ood filled the room and it was a beautiful song filled with hope, joy and freedom. I smiled and The Doctor and I laughed with joy.
"I can hear it!" Donna laughed, as Sigma raised his arms.
A little later, a group of Ood lead by Sigma were standing in front of us just outside the TARDIS. "The message has gone out," said The Doctor, "That song resonated across the galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home."
"We thank you, Teddy-Doctor-Donna, friends of Ood-kind," said Sigma, "And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."
"Oh-We've-We've sorta got a song of our own, thanks."
"I think your songs must end soon."
"What does that mean?" I asked.
"Every song must end."
"Yeah." said The Doctor. Then he looked at Donna, "Um, what about you? Do you still want to go home?"
"No. Definitely not." she said.
"Good," I said with a smile.
"Then we'll be off," said The Doctor.
"Take this song with you," said Sigma, as the other Ood started to sing.
"We will." said Donna.
"Always." said The Doctor.
"And Forever," I added.
"And know this, Teddy-Doctor-Donna, you will never be forgotten. Our children will sing of Teddy-Doctor-Donna, and our children's children, and the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."
We all smiled and nodded our goodbyes before walking to the TARIDS and leaving for our next adventure.
A/N: If you like this story, leave me a comment in the box below. It gives me inspiration to continue. Plus, I do want to hear your thoughts about Teddy possibly regenerating. If you don't want her to regenerate let me know. If you think it would be cool if she regenerated let me know.