The Reaper

Sunburn

"So it's beginning huh?" Tom asked

"Yes and I'm really not looking forward to coming across him again." I replied.

"Don't worry little one, I won't let him do anything. I'll find out what his game is."

"Thank you big brother, let's go there's a life or three to save."

We we're gone in a burst of blue light.

Rose was sitting on the steps in the viewing gallery, throwing the egg that the Adherents of the Repeated Meme had given as a gift, and catching it again, when she heard an announcement over the intercom.

"Earth Death in 25 minutes. Earth Death in 25 minutes."

"Oh, thanks." Rose said, sarcastically.

She put the egg down and turned her attention to the cutting of Jabe's grandfather. She picked up the pot. "Hello! My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related..." She suddenly realised what she was doing and hurriedly put the plant down. "I'm talking to a twig." She said, in absolute disgust. Behind her, a spider broke out of the metal ball she had just put down.

The spider started to scan her hand, but Rose was completely oblivious. It jumped and ran to the air vent when the Doctor's voice floated through the door.

"Rose? Are you in there?" The Doctor asked.

The spider scrambled through the vent just in time, before the Doctor came through the door.

"Aye aye!" The Doctor said as he joined Rose on the opposite side of the stairs. "What do you think, then?"

"Great!" Rose said, slipping fake enthusiasm into her voice. "Yeah... fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper..."

The Doctor laughed

"They're just, so alien." Rose remarked. The Doctor looked at her, questioningly. "The aliens. Are so alien. You look at 'em... and they're alien." She said, lamely, unable to express exactly what she was feeling.

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South." The Doctor joked.

Rose looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time in her life. "Where are you from?"

"All over the place." The Doctor replied, turning away from Rose and looking out of the viewing window at the Earth.

"They all speak English." Rose said, the thought just coming to her.

The Doctor turned back to Rose, smiling and leaning back, resting his elbow on the floor. "No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. Telepathic field, gets inside your brain, translates."

"It's inside my brain?" Rose clarified, shock and anger at the whole situation rising up in her.

"Well, in a good way."

Rose's voice turned cold and angrier. "Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside and it changes my mind, and you didn't even ask?" Rose demanded.

The Doctor looked thrown at the question. "I didn't think about it like that."

"No! You were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South!" Rose said, angrily. "Who are you then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?"