Revenge of a Time Lord

Chapter 9

'You see this planet, Martha, Bellus IV, it's very much like the Earth, really. The only difference is that these people once have tried to kill me and people on Earth haven't. Not yet, that is. Do you see what I don't like about these people, apart from the fact that they have been vicious towards me? Look at the planet and tell me,' the Doctor said to Martha while the TARDIS was floating above the planet so that they had a good view on it.

Martha looked down and she saw the planet, with the people on it. She saw that there was less water than on Earth, but the rest seemed to be quite normal to her. There was less green, the planet seemed to be one big city. There were buildings everywhere she looked. But it was not a remarkable place, how hard she tried, she couldn't see something that was wrong with it.

'I don't know, I really don't,' Martha answered quietly.

'Then I'll tell you,' the Doctor said with the voice of a teacher who was patiently explaining something to a student for the hundredth time. 'These humans, they wanted more space for themselves, you see? The Earth became too small for them, so they decided to go looking for another planet to live on. They succeeded, but at the cost of the other inhabitants here. And that is what's wrong. You humans blame the biggest villains like Hitler for killing other people and other races just to get more room for themselves. The need for Lebensraum was it called during the second World War. Do you see the irony already, Martha?'

'No. I don't see where this is going, you are comparing all humans to Hitler now?' Martha snapped.

'It is an example, I'm trying to make something clear, but apparently you still don't get it,' the Doctor said slightly annoyed. 'Humans believe that committing genocide is wrong, that the need for more living space at the cost of others is wrong. You are judging others, but in the meantime you do exactly the same thing. You are looking for new planets to live on, and with that you also wipe away other species. So what makes you better than all those war villains and other criminals, eh?'

'This is absurd, you are making no sense,' Martha stated.

'I am telling you the truth, I have seen more than you. These humans here have already done all this, they have already killed other species. Every human is egocentric, it's just their nature. And the people here below have already shown that their nature has just gone too far. They knew that I wanted to stop them, so they wanted to get rid of me too. And I ran, I didn't want to punish them, I wanted to leave them in peace, to let them have their lives. But that was weak, I shouldn't have ran away, I should've stopped them, just to make sure they couldn't kill others ever again,' the Doctor explained.

'And yet you want to punish them? Why don't you finish off the human race completely then? What makes the Earth so special?' Martha snapped, her arms folded.

'The humans on Earth are not guilty of genocide, I am offering them a chance. And I want to show you why you should all do as I say, because otherwise, I will wipe away the Earth as well,' the Doctor said darkly.

Martha looked at the Doctor carefully. He was looking down at the planet beneath them and he looked at it as though he was disgusted by it. Then the Time Lord straightened up to his full height and he looked Martha in the eyes. That moment Martha knew why he was feared by even the Daleks. He had a determined glance and the Oncoming Storm was reflecting in it, his whole appearance was suddenly so powerful and intimidating.

'Then what makes you better than them?' Martha asked him.

'Excuse me?' the Doctor asked confused.

'Are you kidding? You are just telling me that you hate it that the humans on this planet have killed people for their own good while you are practically doing the same!' Martha retorted.