Doctor Who and The Goddess of Evolution

Chapter 5: Figgies

"Isn't this beautiful?!" The Doctor shouted as they ended up in the lobby of a rather large zoo.

The lobby itself was colorful, full of plants and other foliage of all kinds of colors and texture.  The walls were made up of a type of light blue, smooth crystal.  Windows housing exhibits of mythological creatures that once roamed the physical realm had their own statues inside the walls.  Black stone and jade colored marble adorned the floor in squares and the front desk was made from some sort of burgundy colored tree.  The Doctor was fascinated by the decor of the desk, especially. 

"My my my," he said breathing, his eyes gleaning with pure curiosity as he practically sashayed over to it.  "This desk is lovely.  What's it made from?" he asked the attendant who was sitting behind the desk.

She had a very eccentric trim to her glasses, the shape resembling the 50's style, minding the gems in the frame, of course.  She was chewing gum lazily as she stared at her computer.  "Oak," she replied blankly, clearly uninterested in the Doctor.  "Do you have something to trade for entry into the zoo?"

The Doctor blinked as Amy and Rory trailed up to him.  "Trade, such as?"

"Anything that has value."

"Yes, of course," the Doctor chuckled, tucking his hands into his pockets.  "And what holds the value of currency here?"

"For starters, years off your life."

That got his attention immediately and he frowned.  "People shave off their lifespan as a currency?  Well, that's rather abnormal, especially for a place like this."

The attendant finally looked up at the Doctor and she blinked, still chewing her gum like a cow chewing cud.  "Only the truly desperate.  Things that people like to use for trade here are magical items, historical documents, animals, minerals, gems, educational tools and advanced technology."

"Doesn't this place have a museum?  And didn't we pass a college on the way here?" Amy pointed out with a smirk.

"We did," The Doctor replied before looked at Amy gravely.  He was starting to notice patterns.  Even during conversation with people, he was noticing things.  Small cracks in the floor and walls, for example.  Barely visible to the naked eye but lucky for him, he pretty much saw everything.  "How much did it take to build this place?"

"The structure itself?" an older man in a dark brown suit and blue tie came walking up, looking delighted that someone was curious about the place as a whole.  "Goodness, you must be new around here.  Alternate reality, I'm guessing."

"Finally, someone who speaks British," the Doctor smiled as he faced the man.  "Yes, alternate reality.  We are from one of those," he smiled, pointing at the grinning man.  "We..."

However, all conversation ceased as the stranger suddenly gawked at the Doctor, then he looked at Amy and Rory.  "Oh dear...not again."

"Sorry?" Rory asked in confusion.

The balding older gentleman huffed and took out his walkie talkie before speaking into it.  "Gerald, did you leave your post in the science fiction section?"

Static was heard over the walkie talkie and the Doctor blinked before eyeing his two companions.  "I don't know where this is going, but I like he," the Doctor chuckled before looking back at the man. "Sorry, what did you say your name was?"

The man grumbled as he tried to reach Gerald again.  "Listen, this isn't the first time Figgies have left their exhibits without the slightest clue as to why they did, and I'm certain it won't be the last, so please forgive me if I don't feel like explaining anything to you.  Just follow me and I'll take you three back where you belong."

Rory, Amy and the Doctor all stared at one another.  "Sorry, Figgies?" Amy asked with a quizzical brow.

The older man grumbled.  "For goodness sake, follow me, I'll explain on the way if I must."  The man started walking off but the trip just stood there.  "Oh come along!" the man shouted when he noticed they weren't following.  "If you don't, Mr. Gabriel will have my head."

"Right," the Doctor said, having been intrigued for no particular reason to follow.  "Come along, Ponds."

They followed the worker out of the zoo and through the various areas of the Nexus, one part resembling a large shopping mall.  "What's a Figgie?" Rory asked.

"It's all the same with you Figgies, innit?" the man drawled out in annoyance.  "What's a Figgie?  Why am I here?  Where's my husband?"

The Doctor arched a brow before smirking, still walking along as he kept taking notice of things.  More cracks, quite a few signs up over doors explaining that the thing behind the doors were undergoing maintenance due to technical difficulties and the food vendors were probably the most alarming thing.  Why would spirits need food?   "Well, if you're tired of explaining what Figgies are to...Figgies, then perhaps you should tell us something Figgies never ask."

"And that would be what?"

"Why is the place breaking down, for example?"

This gave the man pause.  He immediately turned to the Doctor and his companions, smiling a bit.  "Oh yes, that's truly a new one.  You certainly do live up to your name, after all."

"My name?" the Doctor asked with a smug grin.  "So does the Doctor exist in this reality?"

"Of sorts," the man grinned before resuming his walk towards the museum.  "And the Doctor is one of our most popular exhibits."

The time traveling group stared up at the giant building in awe, a big poster of different men and woman hanging over the side like a long drape of curtain.  At the very top was a large blue police box.  It was most certainly the TARDIS.

What was even far more interesting, however, were the words that formed at the bottom.

"Doctor Who exhibit now open!  Come see the popular television characters come to life!"

"Television?" Amy asked with a snort.  "Wait, is the Doctor just a character on a television show here?"

"Yes, as are you two," the man replied.  "You're the Eleventh Doctor's companions.  Now, let's get you three back to your exhibit."

Both the humans started laughing and running towards the building, both highly amused at the fact that they were famous in an alternate reality.

The Doctor, however...he didn't know whether to be impressed or offended.