Chasing a Glimpse ((A Doctor Who Fanfiction))

3. An Old "Friend"

Don't listen to your friends, they only care once in a while

-The Draw by Bastille

By the time I had returned to my house, the first sun was setting, meaning that if I wanted to make it to Olyesti in time for the final part, I'd have to leave soon. Unlike Arcadia, Olyesti was on the other side of the planet, so I would have to take the Transboreal Transport System. The nearest station was in Arcadia, but the tickets were rather expensive. It's a good thing that this was the last time I'd be needing Gallifreyan money, since this would use up about the last of my dwindling store. Resignedly, I pulled the small pouch of coins out of the locked drawer of my work desk, sliding the unfinished vortex manipulator in before locking it again. I couldn't risk someone finding it when I was so close to finishing. Then I quickly donned a traditional red dress and my cloak before heading out the door towards the TTS station.

The walk between home and the station was not long at all, and then I was standing in the queue, waiting for my turn to dish out an excessive amount of money. The line moved quickly, and soon I was at the window, the ticket master giving me a disinterested look.

"How may I help you?" She asked, her tone nowhere near as polite as the words themselves.

"One round trip ticket to Olyesti, please." I answered automatically.

"What class?" She asked, and I thought for a moment.

"First class." I decided. What's wrong with a little binge? I wanted to experience first class before I left. She looked down at my admittedly worn and dirty clothes and then gave me a look that read 'Are you serious?'

"That'll be 52 razels." I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pouch, quickly grabbing six coins and sliding them under the window and grabbing the ticket. She passed back four coins of a smaller value and I slid the pouch back into my pocket. I then headed towards the large vehicle that resembled a Dalek ship. 'Calm down. It's just the transport vessel. We created these before the Daleks came.' I told myself as I walked towards it, pushing away the surge of fear I had felt at the sight of it. By the looks of a small girl screaming and fighting a mother who was pulling her towards it I knew I wasn't the only one frightened by the striking similarity. So I steeled myself and stepped on board, handing my ticket to the driver. He scanned it before giving it back to me, giving me the same look the ticket master had, but pointed to my seat. I sat down, trying to ignore the demeaning looks I was recieving and instead staring out the window.

"I thought this was first class, not third." I heard someone whisper, and I spun around to fix him with an icy glare.

"Just because I'm in Cadonestian clothes does not mean I'm poor. And it doesn't mean I'm deaf either." I snarled, and the man immediately lowered his gaze. I huffed and settled back into my seat, irritated. I'll be the first to admit Cadonesta, the town I lived in, was not the richest town on Gallifrey. But that did not give these rich Arcadians the right to put them down because of their clothes or place of residence.

With a lurch, the transport began to move away from the station, speeding towards Olyesti. I stared out the window, watching the scenery pass by. Over the meadows of red grasses, past the forests whose leaves reflected the rising sun, through the dry deserts that lie in the shadows of the mountains. Gallifrey was so beautiful. I would probably miss the scenery the most. Because no planet could possibly beat this level of beauty.

Before the second sun had made it to its highest point in the sky, we were docked in the Olyestian station and unloading. Not wanting to create any more of a scene than I already had, I waited for all of the wealthier people to get off before following them. I immediately left the station and headed towards the center of the city.

Upon reaching greater Olyesti, I made a beeline for the large park a little ways down the road. Children were laughing and playing games, climbing all over the playset. I felt a small pang of sympathy for the children from Cadonesta. Olyesti had mostly been spared by the war, and they hadn't needed to spend a lot on repairs, rather using it to improve the city. Cadonesta, however, had nearly been reduced to rubble, and all of their funds went to the rebuilding effort. So while the Olyestians had fancy playsets and large houses, the Cadonestians were stuck in small, one-roomed houses and their children playing on the streets. That was one of the things that bothered me the most about Gallifrey nowadays. Cities that needed the most money ended up getting only as much as the others got, because the unaffected cities had better politicians who argued that everyone should get a fair share. It just wasn't right.

Political rants aside, I took a seat on a bench and watched the children play in the least creepy way possible as I waited for my final contact to arrive.

"Rithica!" I heard a shout from behind me and tensed, my fight or flight instinct kicking in. A man my age plopped down on the bench beside me, grinning lopsidedly.

"It is you, isn't it?" I gave him a distrustful look out of the corner of my blue eyes.

"Who wants to know?" He laughed and clapped me heavily on the back.

"Your contact! It's me, Haegord!" He shouted, and when realization dawned on me, I slapped my hand over his mouth.

"Shh! Do you want to get me arrested?" I demanded, and he sheepishly shook his head. After a moment, I removed my hand and crossed my arms. "So. How'd you know it was me?"

"Somebody told me it was your dad who saved us and then blasted off to who knows where. I figured you'd be going after him. I was right." He gloated and I scoffed.

"Don't be too proud of yourself. Do you actually have the part I need, or are you wasting my time?"

"I have it, but I came to try to talk you out of leaving."

"It won't work. Nothing will change my mind."

"Even if I told you that, back when we were old Mubnulmus's apprentices, I loved you?" This didn't have the effect on he had hoped for. I wasn't surprised in the least. I had always known this by the way he had acted around me.

"Not even that. Because it's unrequited."

"Wow. Harsh. You're not very nice when it comes to declarations of love." He pouted, and I rolled my eyes.

"Stop wasting my time. I have your money, now give me the stone and I'll be on my way." I said, referring to the stone that would grant my vortex manipulator access to the space-time vortex.

"Hold your Earthian equestrian mammals.* Just hear me out." He begged, and I decided that it wouldn't hurt to hear what he had to say.

"You have till the count of 30." I sighed.

"I know you feel like you have to go find your dad and all of that, since you think he's the only one you've got left. But he's not. You've got me. And I'm sure you've got others who care for you." He said, and I shook my head, frowning.

"You're wrong. Without my mother, I'm all alone. And you've never even contacted me until now, so you don't count. Now give me the stone!" I demanded, holding my hand out for it.

"Fine. But just know that if you leave, you can never come back. You'll be an outlaw, and if the ever lift the restrictions on space-time vortex travel, then you're the first person they'll go after." He warned.

"I am well aware of the consequences of my departure." I deadpanned, and he shrugged.

"Fine. Here's your stone then." He handed me a clear stone with a purple and blue swirled core, and I handed him the pouch of coins, rising and stalking off, not even giving him a second glance. But if I had, I would've seen the grim look on his face as he too stood and headed toward the Olyestian Law Enforcer's Station.

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* This was mean to be a way for him to say "Hold your horses." I though it was funny...

Edit: So I'm hoping all the songs I used made some sort of vague sense, because finding songs was very hard. But hopefully they'll make more sense in coming chapters as I've had time to think on them.