Mother, Gaia (A Thasmin Fanfiction)

Chapter Four-- Buried Deep Within

The aircraft glides through the meadows, blades of grass shuddering beneath it as it skims the ground. Wetlands race by, and Yaz watches huge birds lift off from the ground. They seem to drift in place, long white wings spread into the air. Mountain ranges follow her in the horizon, its many crystal facets glinting in the afternoon sun. It's hard to imagine that this whole valley was covered in a blanket of snow only a few days before. They have only been traveling for an hour, but it feels as if Yaz had seen so much of this strange little planet.

Sunlight warms the back of her neck, but the rangers helped them pack winter clothes in the back for emergencies. She can't help but stand at the edge of the aircraft to take it all in. The whole front of the ship is made of solid glass, only about the size of a small room. There's no pilot—they must have landed far enough into the future for the whole system to be self-driving. A few ATV's sit in the back of the aircraft; the rangers gave them strict instructions not to walk off-trail, so land vehicles could be necessary if they had to. The aircraft speeds through the landscape, moving from meadow to forest and back into meadow again. After a while, an impressive set of canyons appear in the horizon. Cracks in the earth snake under the ground ahead of them, weaving connections between each other. The Doctor stands against the woven canyons, observing from behind the glass. The sun sits high in the sky, spilling a dappled light into the glass aircraft. Her blonde hair seems to ignite under the brightness. Ryan and Graham aren't far behind, talking to one another in hushed voices as they watch the world race by. There's a tension that hangs in the room—an excitement of what mystery lies beyond those canyons stirs within all of them. Yaz walks toward the Doctor, mesmerized by the way her silhouette stands out against the canyons. Her feet step on nothing, and her stomach tightens as grass races under the glass. Yaz swallows hard, taking a few shaky steps toward the front of the aircraft. She stops at the time lord's side. The other woman says nothing, eyes fixed on something in the distance.

"Do you think the priesthood is up to something?" Yaz asks, breaking the silence.

"They could be," the Doctor replies, not taking her eyes off the canyons, "This century is... troubled, to say the least. I think—was it two months ago?—the galaxy voted to open up more of Gaia to the public. Including some of the temples, like this one that we're headed to. It's a hard transition for the priests." The Doctor turns to face Yaz, and there's that swimming feeling in her chest again. "They're a secretive bunch."

"So, the place'll be swarming with tourists?"

"Not yet. Law shouldn't come into effect for a few months. But I bet the rangers went up there to prepare for it."

"Oh, great," Yaz says, slouching her shoulders, "Well, that's a clear motivation if they've been kidnapped. Or worse."

"We shouldn't assume things," the Doctor scolds her, taking a step closer to the human girl, "The priests are good people. Well, mostly. And none of us know what's going on, not really. These are confusing times for this galaxy, so we give everyone the benefit of the doubt."

"Alright. But it sounds like these priests can't adapt to the times," Yaz sighs, crossing her arms, "Not all that different from home, huh?"

The Doctor smiles at that, her gaze faltering from the horizon. She looks down at Yaz, and there's that spark in her eye. It's times like these that Yaz sees who she is—an ancient entity, filled with sorrow and joy and everything in between. There is a mystery in those eyes that masks itself most of the time, leaking out mere moments in time. It's a mystery that Yaz can't comprehend with her mere human lifespan.