Wanderer of Time: Silence Begins (doctor who)

Chapter 23: Song of Freedom

They eventually found the main warehouse for the Ood. It was filled with shipping containers, all stacked up on top of each other. Some in pairs of twos. Others reaching all the way up to the ceiling. There were hundreds throughout the vast shipping area. They spotted a giant crane hand moving about. It picked up the containers one at a time and moved them off to be shipped.

"Ood export," the Doctor remarked as they walked through the aisles of the containers. He pointed to the giant claw above, noting what it was doing. The containers ready to be shipped out over the three galaxies of the Human Empire.

"What? You mean these containers of are full of . . . ," Donna tried to ask, but was unable to finish her sentence.

"What do you think?" the Doctor responded, looking infuriated as he walked over to one of the containers. How he wished he had been here sooner to help the poor creatures. Opening up the shipping container, they all gathered around the entrance as they gazed within.

The trio looked inside to see the area packed full of Ood. All looked miserable and gloomily. Many seemed to be sick or weak from the overbearing heat from the tightly packed bodies. The small area stunk from the sweat of the Ood's. The Doctor gazed on evenly as he felt anger rise up within him upon the sight of the Ood's condition. Wanda and Donna gave sad expressions to the poor Ood.

"How many of them do you think there are in each one?" Donna asked them, her voice laced with sadness.

"A hundred? More?" the Doctor replied, not quite sure of the answer.

"A great big empire built on slavery," Donna muttered in disgust. Okay, now she really felt ready to smack some heads around. Whoever was in charge of this, they had a it coming when she got her hands on them.

"It's not so different from your time," the Doctor mumbled.

"Oi, I haven't got slaves." Donna shot him an irritated look that he would even suggest such a thing.

The Doctor hardened his gaze slightly as he continue to stare at the Ood. "Who do you think made your clothes?"

Wanda smacked the back of his head lightly, making him wince.

"Rude," she scolded quietly, knowing what he meant. He was right of course and Wanda agreed with him, but . . . Donna did not need to be reminded on the terrible deeds within her own time.

"Sorry," the Doctor muttered, realizing it was callous of him to say something such as that out loud. Donna smirked some, happy that Wanda was not too shy to give the old Spaceman a nice smack when he deserved it. She turned her attention back to the Ood.

"I don't understand," she spoke to the group of Ood. "The door was open. Why don't you just run away?" One Ood picked up his translator orb from his shirt, holding it up to speak.

"For what reason?" he asked politely, looking innocent to have even thought of such a thing.

"You could be free," stated Donna as though anyone would think of their freedom. Anyone would take it upon the slightly chance of being far away from such a dreadful situation.

"I do not understand the concept," the Ood responded. Donna stared to the translation orb, wondering if that had to do anything with the brainwashing the Ood must have gone through.

"What is it with the persil ball? I mean, they're not born with it, are they?" she asked the Time Lords.

"No. They're not," Wanda said, staring sadly to the Ood. "It's something that comes as a mark in being a slave." The Doctor took note of this, turning his attention to the Ood.