Shooting Star // Eternalian Chronicles Book 1

9) .The Promise Below.

(Edited)

.The Beast Below.

~Catherine Wood~

I was right about one thing. No ship has towers. Instead, we were led to a basement of sorts. It was dark and mucky, but well enough to use for a base for Liz Ten's government. As soon as we entered the main room, Amelia took hold of my hand again, clinging onto it for dear life. Next to us in the main room, was a large grate, tentacles, of what was most likely the creature, flailing about in agony. I heard screams and felt the pain, a desire to get out. It took everything I had not to collapse to the floor. Almost as if noticing this, The Doctor took my open hand, and gave it a squeeze.

I looked at him and gave him a forced smile. 

"Doctor, where are we?" Amelia asked.

"The lowest point on the Starship UK," he replied. "The Dungeon." 

Children passed us by, looking solemn, carrying buckets of I don't know what.

"There are children down here," I said. "What is that all about?"

"Protesters and citizens of limited value are fed to the beast," the man who took us here said. His face had changed back to it's normal human one. "For some reason, it won't eat the children. You're the first adults it's spared. You're very lucky." 

I glanced at Amelia and she rolled her eyes. I smirked. If only he knew how we got out.

"Yeah, look at us. Torture chamber of the Tower of London. Lucky, lucky, lucky." The Doctor knew exactly what Amelia and I were silently conversing about. "Except it's not a torture chamber, is it? Well, except it is. Except it isn't. Depends on your angle." He dropped my hand and went towards the middle of the room where a large hole was. 

I pulled Amelia towards it as well, following him. Pulsing in the center was a brain. Large and almost glowing, it radiated with pain. Someone was shocking it. Shocking the creature into doing their will. I took a step back, letting go of Amy's hand and covering m mouth with mine. This was horrible. Liz Ten, also seeing it, had a similar reaction.

"What's that?" she asked. 

I opened my mouth to tell her, but no words came out. 

"Well, like I say," The Doctor told her, "it depends on the angle. It's either the exposed pain center of big fella's brain, being tortured relentlessly, or it's the gas pedal, the accelerator. Starship UK's go faster button." 

This poor creature. There was nothing that I could do to help it.

"I don't understand," Liz Ten muttered.

"Don't you?" I questioned. "The spaceship that could never fly. No vibration on deck. This creature, this poor, trapped, terrified creature. It's not infesting you, it's not invading, it's what you have instead of an engine. And this place down here is where you hurt it, where you torture it, day after day, just to keep it moving. No one can hear it's pain, but right now, I feel it, and I'm trying not to fall to the ground and cry with the creature." I turned to The Doctor, who looked at me sadly. "Would you let me borrow your sonic for a moment?" 

He hesitated. "Why?"

"Trust me. I know how to use it." I didn't know how I knew, but I did. It was something from my Eternl background, or so my head told me. 

The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver from his pocket and reluctantly handed it to me, giving me a look before he did. I pointed it at my head and activated it, a high pitched scream coming into the air. Everyone covered their ears. As soon as it had started it was over, I let it stop.