Earth Grazer || Doctor Who

43. A Small Step

~unedited~

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The group didn’t make it very far after they escaped the room where the cargo was being stored, they happened to run into whoever had docked earlier. After even more shouting and gun pointing it was discovered the ship that had docked came from the planet Kazia and her crew were just at. They flew out to help since the leaders on their world were infuriated and sent out one of their assassins, the creature. “Wait, so what is this creature,” Ella wondered as the newcomers corralled them into a slightly safer area, there were three of them and one of them was about the same height as Ella. He had gravity defying hair that added about two inches and the other two were about a head taller, but it was obvious between the three of them who was in charge.

“A genetically engineered animal from our planet, it has heightened hunter instincts and our leaders only use it for the worst of offenses because it’s so hard to control and almost nothing can kill it. I’m sure you noticed but it must have survived in the vacuum of space for hours before it found you.” The shorter one with tall hair technically answered Ella’s question, but she was left with even more as she contemplated the new information. Across the room the Doctor gave her and Rose a look, keep them talking, Ella imperceptibly nodded her head.

“Why are you helping us if this thing is almost impossible to beat?” Rose came in with the distraction while the Doctor quickly ducked out while the room’s attention was on the two humans.

“Because our leaders are wrong, the thing we extracted from our core was corrupting everyone. By now you probably know how it feels to be near it, imagine that on a massive scale and spread out over the entire planet. That … feeling it leaves you with was causing mass hysteria and headaches so bad people would have done anything for relief, including ending their own lives. I haven’t even mentioned what happens to someone who actually touches the substance with their bare skin.” With his words of warning, Kazia started to get suspicious about their intentions, she was about to speak up but one of the humans beat her to it.

“What happens,” Ella looked over and stared down the guy who still hasn’t introduced himself or his people.

“When we first extracted it from our planet, one of the science guys got stuck in its … magnetism and put his hand into it and it plagued his mind and tore his body apart.”

“And how accurate is that statement,” Rose adopted a voice Ella had come to call her interrogator voice because it usually got a tiny bit deeper when she was questioning. Ella blamed it on the detective’s shows they liked watching when the Doctor is off doing maintenance or if they happen to have a slow day.

“I’d say pretty accurate; the science guy became obsessed with it. Finding out what it is and why it draws people in and the longer he searched for answers. The more time it had to fester inside of him until there was nothing left … save for various body parts.” The guy in front mumbled just as the Doctor slipped back in the room. Ella let Rose take over the questions so she can slink over to the Doctor’s side.

“So, what did you find out?” Ella subtly asked in French, a language she’s been dropping the longer she was away from her father. The Doctor confidently answered her back in the same tongue, one of the taller newcomers noticed the two of them conversing in a foreign sounding language. He discreetly nudged his silent partner and they both studied the smaller lifeforms as they quietly discussed.

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“I knew they were bad guys,” Ella exclaimed as the group slowly made it back to the Tardis. The brunette started fumbling with the chain around her neck which carried her Tardis key.

“And you didn’t say anything because …” Rose trailed off as she was finding debris in her hair and tossing it away. Eventually the blonde took pity on her best friend by fishing out her own key from her pocket when Ella almost tripped because she wasn’t watching where she was going.