Human Timelord

“Doctor,” I started. “They aren’t taking us into the vacuum are they?”

“No,” one of the Pevalimon replied. “We need you alive to speak to the Orantia for us.”

“Oh,” the Doctor said. “So I take it this ‘Orantia’ only speaks to humans?”

“No. It will only speak to a Time lord.”

“What, so you create a centralized vacuum to bring me here? You know, a call on the psychic paper would’ve done well enough.”

“The centralized vacuum is needed for the Orantia to live.”

“So wait…you’re telling me that this thing doesn’t even need an atmosphere? How does it breathe?” I asked.

“It doesn’t.”

“Right.”

They led us into a shed and began to search us. When they lifted an iPhone out of one of the Doctor’s pockets, I stifled a laugh.

“What do you need an iPhone for? Even I don’t have one.”

“I don’t need it, it’s just an accessory, to appear normal,” he said.

“Wearing clothes like that, you think an iPhone is going to make you appear normal?”

“Well…maybe not. But I like the idea of it.”

They took my phone, my keys, my broken USB and a hand gun out of my coat. The last of which the Doctor eyed carefully before looking up at me – a smile no longer on his face. I turned from his gaze quickly as the Pevalimon pushed us through into a viewing room, where a microphone and a set of headphones lay waiting.

“I shall leave you,” the Pevalimon said.

“Very trusting bunch,” the Doctor said without a trace of irony.

I looked at him in amazement.

“What?” he asked as he finally caught my expression.

“They’re invading.”

“They are?”

“Quietly…but yes.”

“Right. First impressions just went out the window. So, what do you think this thing is?”

I looked out through the glass panels, noticing the creature I hadn’t noticed before. It looked like black sludge covering the floor of the enormous room. I would’ve thought it was if it hadn't been moving.

“How is that thing supposed to talk? It doesn’t even have a mouth.”

“Maybe it does.”

“Try it out,” I said looking at the headphones and the microphone.

He pulled the headphones over his ears and I watched his curious expression falter.

“What?” I asked.

He took the headphones off, still not speaking.

“What Doctor? What did it say?”

“You were right, it doesn’t have a mouth. I don’t think it said anything. I think I just heard its thoughts.”

“Okay,” I replied taking that in. “That’s reasonable. What was it thinking?”

“A lot of things,” he said. “You never just think one thing at a time. I saw into its subconscious too, but the one thing that was there were two words repeated endlessly.”

I waited for him to continue, but he didn’t. He walked out, back into the room with the Pevalimon.

“Take me to your leader.”

They led us out of the room.

“You know that’s only the second time I’ve ever said that.”

“Really?” I was surprised, it seemed like you would say it to every alien race.

“Yeah. Except last time I was a different man. There was a different feel in the atmosphere too. I’ll probably never say it again. Truth be told, this regeneration is probably most similar to that man. In characteristics and all that. Although…there are some differences.”

“Like…”

“Oh you know, thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes. Strangely enough I quite like turnips nowadays.”

I was silent for a moment.

“That was just in case you ever felt like making me something, I like turnips.”

“Right. Never going to happen.”

“Okay then.”

Awkward silence.

“So,” I said. “What were those two words that the Orantia was saying?”

“Earth,” the Doctor replied as we waited outside the entrance to the great hall, “and death.”