Thob and the Blue Box

Thob waddled along the barren dust fields on the outskirts of the east of Thicctown, he liked the desolate feel to it and how the glow of the orange suns seemed to cast a gloom over the landscape. Here he felt more at peace with his life and himself.

He didn't fit in at his home or local Absorb School, he had too little chins and could never seem to get the hang of absorbing anything inside of him. If he was honest with himself, he didn't see the appeal in it anyway. The Buzskflies never did anything wrong, it wasn't fair that they then had to spend eternity stuck within a green, clammy mass of Abzorbaloff flesh.

As Thob continued to jiggle along further from town and kick up the violet grit from the ground as he went, the suns were setting. The calm glow that had once lit his way had started to become a dark tone as the many moons began to cast their ominous blue shadow. Wrapped up in his stream of thought, as well as being focussed on sucking upon a leg of Loable he had brought along to snack on, he didn't realise the change in the scene around him.

Not until he heard that sound. It started as a faint hum in the air but quickly became a loud, wheezing ring that buzzed through Thob's rolls. That's when he noticed a bright shape beginning to appear out of no where. With sudden speed, he darted behind some large boulders.

*

A Blue Box had seemed to materialize onto the dust fields of Thicania. An excited feeling rushed through the pit of Thob's stomach. It couldn't be The Blue Box could it, he thought. Just then, a creature, that Thob had been taught was called a Human, rushed out. It's skin was the colour of mud and it had long black hair. It had worn an excited expression before it's face fell and it exclaimed,

"Ugh, Doctor, it's still not Earth!"

The Doctor! It is the Blue Box and the Doctor from the legends of Thob's people! He couldn't believe it and peered further through the crack in the rock to try and get a better view of this extraordinary moment.

"Really?" Another one stuck it's head around the door and surveyed the landscape. This one had yellow hair with flesh of another colour, maybe they came in all colours. This one must be The Doctor, it didn't look different to the Human yet was supposed to be another kind. It then disappeared back inside the Blue Box.

"She must be feeling stubborn today!" The Doctor's voice echoed from inside followed by a few buzz like sounds.

"Or you just can't fly her!"

"Excuse me, you were the one flying her this time!"

"Yeah and who taught me! Or at least tried to!"

By this time The Doctor had come out again with it's hands up on it's hips in a jeering way, while the Human smiled and shook it's head.

"Well, let's try again and get you home Yaz!"

"Aw, can't we just look around a bit first? Looks quite cool this planet."

Thob didn't understand what the planet being cold had to do with anything but could see it was meant as a compliment and was pleased.

"Nah, you don't want to stick around here, according to the monitor this is Clom."

The Doctor then stooped down and clutched a handful of the purple dust before sprinkling it on it's tongue. While the one named Yaz frowned before turning away and looking up to the sky.

"What's so wrong with Clom Doctor? Seems pretty awesome to me. Look at that, four moons!" The Doctor ignored Yaz and swallowed the ground. It ate the ground. Maybe that was normal for their kind. Thob was fascinated by it all and wanted desperately to find out more about The Blue Box and it's legendary occupants. He even imagined bringing them back to Thicctown, how everyone would notice and appreciate him then!

"Yeah, definitely Clom, Thicania, and if I'm not mistaken, which I'm not, we're in the dust fields just outside of Thicctown."

"Thicania, Thicctown? Are these species not the brightest then?" Yaz giggled as The Doctor was now the one to shake it's head and smile.

"The planet is perfectly fine, I just had a run in with one of it's species once back on Earth."

"When don't you?" The Doctor rolled it's eyes and continued,

"I actually named their species that day, they're called Abzorbaloffs." This was it, the tale of their naming first hand, Thob was the first of his kind to hear it in person. What an honour.

"Abzorbaloff, blimey, what sort of a name is that?"

"I dunno, it's what they do, they sort of suck people inside them and they just live in their flesh like a towel absorbing water. Except the water never dries I suppose. Me and a friend were visiting home as well actually and this bloke tried to buy her mum, Jackie, pizza but then they had this argument about..."

"Going off on a different subject again Doctor!" By now they were both sat on the ground leaning against the Blue Box.

"No I'm not this time actually, it was just a very mix matched day. Anyway, it ended with a pavement covered in goop and the bloke, Elton was his name, left happily in love with his girlfriend's living face in a concrete slab." The Doctor sighed in reminiscence, while the look of disbelief faded from Yaz as it stared out into the blueness.

*

Meanwhile Thob was in shock, the tale hadn't been at all what he'd expected. It sounded so unimportant. The name of his people was all down to some goop and someone's mum. The more he thought about it the more he realised. At first he had been awed by The Doctor and the Legend of the Blue Box but now it seemed they were just as average as him. Living their lives normally and somehow becoming legends. In fact, The Doctor wasn't even impressed by Clom, his home. They even called his species unbright.

For a while Thob had wanted to show himself and share his experience with everyone but it didn't seem as special now. Not that anyone would believe him if he did anyway.

With those thoughts, Thob decided to take one last look at The Doctor and the Blue Box, and as silently as possible wobbled away. All admiration forgotten. Although, as disappointed as he felt, a new feeling, a new thought had struck him. You don't have to be some incredible being or have some wonderful talent to make legends. That even an ordinary, outcast Abzorbaloff like him could be someone very special one day.

*

Yaz yawned as she sat against the TARDIS, looking into the stars. A whole different part of the universe, even after all this time she still couldn't quite believe it.

"You tired?" The Doctor's voice broke the silence and Yaz nodded while yawning again. "Right then let's see if this old girl will get you home this time! I still never know why she takes us to places like this sometimes." The TARDIS gave a soft hum. "Well I should hope you're satisfied!" As The Doctor stepped inside, she continued her conversation with the ship. Yaz rolled her eyes before standing up and brushing the dust from her jeans.

Before joining The Doctor, she gazed once more at the surface of Clom and for a moment she could have sworn she saw the outline of a short, plump figure in the distance.