Ties Between Freedom and Love

✦22✦

Chapter Twenty-Two
Mystery Time

*---*---*---*---*---*

"Cathica, I'm going to miss you!" Suki told Cathica, hugging her friend. "Floor 500! Thank you!"

The Doctor looked around, uncomfortably. "I didn't do anything."

"Well, you're my lucky charm," Suki smiled and lunged forward hugging him.

"Alright," he smiled, "I'll hug anyone."

"Really?" Emma questioned teasingly, he pulled away from Suki and shrugged neither really understanding anything that was happening.

They heard Rose and Adam talking before Rose whispered into Emma's ear that they were headed back to the observation deck. Emma nodded and smiled, and the two disappeared from sight.

"All staff are reminded that the sixteen forty break session has been shortened by ten minutes. Thank you."

"Oh my God, I've got to go!" Suki exclaimed grabbing her suitcase from the floor. "I can't keep them waiting. I'm sorry!" she called out as she rushed away. She stepped into the elevator and turned to look at them one last time, "Say goodbye to Steve for me! Bye!"

The Doctor and Emma waved as the door slid shut.

"Good riddance!" Cathica sighed.

"You're talking like you'll never see her again," the Doctor looked at her curiously. "She's only going upstairs."

"We won't," Cathica looked at them incredulously. "Once you go to Floor 500, you never come back."

"Have you ever been up there?" Emma asked as they started walking around the small stores and food carts.

"I can't," Cathica replied. "You need a key for the lift and you only get a key with a promotion. No one gets to 500 except for the chosen few. Look, they only give us twenty minutes maintenance. Can't you give it a rest?"

They walked back into the oval room and the Doctor walked over to the broadcast chair and sat down. "You've never been to another floor? Not even one floor down?"

"I went to Floor 16 when I first arrived. That's medical," Cathica explained. "I got my head done and then I came straight here," she said looking down at her clipboard. "Satellite Five. You work, eat, and sleep on the same floor. And that's it, that's all."

"Kind of like a spaceship Avengers tower," Emma muttered.

Cathica looked up at them her eyes narrowing slightly, "You're not management, are you?"

"At last! She's clever!" the Doctor exclaimed and Emma smiled.

"Well, whatever it is," Cathica replied. "Don't involve me, I don't know anything."

"Don't you even ask?" Emma questioned.

"Well, why would I?"

"You're a journalist," the Doctor reminded her. "Why is all the crew human?"

Cathica shifted uncomfortably, "What's that got to do with anything?"

"There's no aliens onboard. Why?"

"I dunno, no real reason," she shook her head. "They're not banned or anything."

The Doctor glanced around mockingly, "Then where are they?"

"I suppose immigration's tightened up. It's had to!" Cathica protested, "What with all the threats."

"What threats?" Emma asked.