Easy | The Thirteenth Doctor

✯ E l e v e n ✯

The Ghost Monument (Part 2)
2018
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What Charlotte saw when she walked into the tent was shocking. There was a patterned carpet on the floor, multiple plush cushions and swish lamps, a large table in the centre of the room, and a man sitting on a soft red sofa wearing silk clothing.

"This is totally not real," Charlotte murmured and the Doctor nodded.

"Definitely not. I mean, he's real, but I have a feeling he's a hologram," she explained and Charlotte nodded. "This is lavish for a tent," she said to the man sitting on the sofa. "I'm the Doctor. These are my new best friends." She turned around and pointed to each companion as she said their name. "Ryan, Graham, Charlotte, and Yaz. Charlotte's not that new. Now..."

The Doctor swept her arm through the man and the tent flickered. "Ah, I see. Hologram. Thought it might be. Good one though. I love a good hologram. I was a hologram once," the Doctor rambled. "For three weeks. The gossip I picked up. What are you? Projection reality or AI interface. 'Cause if you're interface..." she said, crouching down. "Those are excellent nose hairs." Charlotte facepalmed.

"Who are these people?" the man asked the unknown man and woman.

"Bonuses," the woman replied.

"No," the man said.

"What?" the unknown man questioned.

"I told you. Bonuses and snake traps are over."

"They were hanging in the starfield when we exited hyper. Are you saying we scooped them for nothing?"

"Yes."

"I sacrificed my ship!"

"Yeah, sorry, some of this is my fault," the Doctor apologised. "Hi, we were loads of solar systems away, I was trying to find my own ship, I got a fix on it here, and then it all went quite badly actually. These four have been very good not going on about it," she explained, motioning to the Fam. "Very grateful you came along," she said to the unknown man before she started talking to the hologram again. "Can I ask, what is actually going on here? 'Cause I'm confused." She looked at the Fam. "Are you confused?"

"Pretty confused," Yasmin answered.

"Proper confused," Ryan added.

"I'm way beyond confused," Graham said, taking off the sunglasses.

"Ditto," Charlotte agreed, crossing her arms.

"You are intruding on the final stage of the last ever Rally Of The Twelve Galaxies," the hologram answered.

"So, it's basically a space race?" Charlotte questioned. "Like...The Amazing Race? Are you two space-racing each other? Who are you two?" she looked at the unknown man and woman.

"Epzo," the unknown man replied.

"Angstrom," the unknown woman said at the same time as Epzo. "We are the finalists."

"Four thousand entered. Two are left. Only one will claim the prize," the hologram explained.

"What's the prize?" Ryan asked.