Broken - Chapter 3: The Scientific Method (3 / 7)
Title: Broken - Chapter 3: The Scientific Method (3 / 7)
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Martha, OCs
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Season 3 (Set in a post-S3 AU)
Summary: Travelling with the Doctor is always an adventure, but sometimes the adventures are not fun.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and all that jazz…
Warning: There are going to be descriptions of torture.
Author Notes: This is going to be a lengthy story. It's a follow up to the Celebrating Martha's Birthday series and opens about 6 months after Martha agreed to travel with the Doctor again. The story will make use of flashbacks to describe Ten and Martha's adventures during those 6 months. The story is set on Meta Sigmafolio, the planet to which Ten offered to take Martha to see "a burst of starfire like oil on water" at the end of "The Last of the Time Lords" - so I've created some original characters and an alien culture for them.
Chapter One: Smith and Jones Again
Chapter Two: Field Testing
~~~~~~
Meta Sigmafolio Day 6
Therma quietly edged open the door to the Doctor's room. She knew that Martha refused to leave his side except to use the bathroom and that she often took catnaps when the hospital was quiet. She didn't want to wake Martha if she was sleeping, even though she knew that the Krigare would be eager to receive the packet that Therma carried. A runner had just delivered it from the Bureau Chief and it contained copies of all the data the Sheriffs had retrieved from the Cult of Tidherre's labs.
Martha was sitting at the Doctor's bedside, her head resting on her folded arms which were on the edge of his bed near his head. As Therma moved quietly towards the side table, Martha lifted her head from her arms and looked over at the young Sigmafolion, who bowed.
"Morning's blessings upon you Krigare."
"Morning's blessings on you too Therma." Martha had given up trying to persuade Therma not to call her Krigare.
"The Bureau Chief has sent over the data from the Cult," Therma said, holding out the packet.
Martha suppressed a shudder of distaste and accepted the packet. "Thank you." She moved to sit at the side table and opened the packet to find a thick sheaf of papers and a laser disc. "Does the hospital have a portable player for this?" she asked.
Therma nodded. "We record patient-healer interactions on a regular basis in long-term cases."
"Good." Martha laid the disc in its case to one side, then turned to the papers.
"I will bring your breakfast."
Martha looked up and smiled. "Thank you."
Therma went out, her own face lit by a smile. The Krigare was very beautiful as well as very clever and a mighty warrior, and Therma admired her immensely. She had never met someone with the knowledge of healing who could also disable an attacker, and until she met Martha she would have said the two things were wholly incompatible. She couldn't help wishing that she had met the Krigare under different circumstances so that she could learn more of Martha's world and her life.
The sheaf of papers lay in front of Martha but for the moment she couldn't face looking at them - she knew it was going to be painful. She closed her eyes instead and thought back to the events that had brought her and the Doctor to this point.
Somewhere above Meta Sigmafolio, 6 days ago
The TARDIS doors were open, and Martha and the Doctor were sitting in the doorway, their feet dangling outside. She had her back to his chest as she sat between his legs and his arms were wrapped around her middle as they watched the burst of starfire above Meta Sigmafolio. Two colours predominated: a pinky-purple that filled the lower half of the sky, shading from purple into midnight blue at the bottom and into a pinky-yellow at the top, whilst the upper half of the sky was predominantly aquamarine, shading up from the pinky-yellow at the bottom and into an emerald green at the top.
The Doctor tightened his arms around Martha's middle as he spoke in her ear. "This was a brilliant idea of yours, Doctor Jones."
She turned her head and grinned at him. "Well it was my idea," she said slyly.
"Are you implying I never have brilliant ideas?" he asked, mock offence in his tone, but a twinkle in his deep brown eyes.
"Well you've been known to have one or two good ones."
"You're getting cheekier, the longer you spend with me." He kissed her cheek by way of emphasis.
"Yeah? Something must be rubbing off then."
"Talking of rubbing - " The Doctor left his sentence unfinished, but shifted his body against hers.
Martha chuckled. "If I'm getting cheekier, then you're definitely getting randier."
"Is it my fault that you're so beautiful and sexy?" he asked plaintively.
"No, that's the fault of my parents and their genes." She could feel the Doctor's erection pressing against her bum and wondered if he'd want to make love right there in the doorway - it wouldn't be the first time. His right hand pulled her t-shirt loose at the front, then snaked up over her belly to fondle her left breast. Martha gasped as he thumbed her nipple.
"You're getting insatiable," she teased.
"Getting? Martha Jones, I've been insatiable for ages where you're concerned, it's just that now I've stopped pretending I'm not." His left hand unbuttoned her jeans as he spoke, then he started licking her neck below her ear, knowing that it drove her crazy. Martha moaned and he slipped his hand inside her jeans and knickers to touch her with firm, strong strokes. She surrendered herself to the sensations he provoked, knowing that he wouldn't be distracted now he'd started. The last light of the starfire tinged their skin and reflected in their eyes as they made love with passionate abandon, the TARDIS humming joyfully in their heads. Martha had noticed that she had become far more attuned to the ship's feelings and moods in the few months that she'd been travelling with the Doctor, and she knew that the ship was glad of her presence and the love she had for the Time Lord. Somehow she felt that the TARDIS was less lonely these days, just like her master.
When they had got their breath back and were dressed again, the Doctor said, "Breakfast?" and Martha agreed that breakfast was a good idea. "We'll go and have breakfast with the Sigmafolions," the Doctor said. "They're lovely people, very peaceful. Humanoids but blue-skinned. They've produced some brilliant poets, artists and healers. We'll see if we can visit the hospital in the capital city so that you can find out more." He gave her one of his heart-stopping smiles as his fingers danced across the console, entering the co-ordinates for the planet below. He held out a hand to her and she moved to stand beside him, one arm circling his slender waist and her free hand holding on tight to the console. He held the console with his right hand and wrapped his left arm around her, tucking her body closer to his.
"Your landings have got better," Martha observed as they let go of the console moments later.
"Actually," whispered the Doctor, "That's the TARDIS. She started feeling guilty about your bruises."
She looked at him wide-eyed with surprise, knowing he was serious because he never lied about his ship. "Well I'm grateful." She ran a hand along the edge of the console in passing. Thank you. The TARDIS hummed jauntily and she followed the Doctor down the ramp to the doors, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
They had breakfast at a pavement cafe, devouring coffee and croissants with enthusiasm. Martha decided she was extremely lucky: sex with the Doctor frequently left her ravenously hungry so that she ate masses, but between the sex and all the running for her life that she did, she never put on any extra weight.
Finally they agreed they'd eaten enough and the Doctor paid, then offered Martha his arm. "Tell you what," he said, "We'll go and take a look at the market - you can find some mementoes for your family, and then we'll see about visiting the hospital, OK?"
"Sounds perfect," she agreed, pleased. Although she hadn't said anything to him, she knew that according to Earth standard time, it was six months since they'd started travelling together again and she wanted to get him a thank you gift. A month after she'd started travelling with him, she'd asked him for a way of keeping track of time on Earth so that she could stay in touch with her mum, and he'd understood her reason for asking so he'd built her a calendar that was programmed to Earth time. Whilst Francine had accepted that Martha was travelling with the Doctor again, she still worried about her daughter, and Martha understood that concern after all they'd been through, so she made a point of ringing her mum regularly.
They found the market easily and wandered for a while, looking at the stalls, but Martha sensed that the Doctor was starting to get a little fidgety and since she wanted to get him a surprise gift, she suggested that they split up.
He looked down into her face. "Are you sure? I don't mind shopping with you, honestly."
"Of course I'm sure. I know you, you're desperate to wander and I haven't bought anything yet."
"OK." He fished in his jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of notes and coins. "That should be enough. I'll meet you in an hour by the clock tower."
She nodded, gave him a hug and a kiss, then watched him wander off before turning back to a stall that carried a tie pin that had caught her eye earlier.
* * * * * *
Elsewhere in the city four scientists were gathered in an excited huddle around a monitor that indicated that their dearest wish was about to be realised. The most senior of the four was a severe-looking female Sigmafolion with a steely, determined manner that intimidated almost everyone she met. She turned now to a second, younger female and looked at her colleague expectantly.
"Ivrig, you know what to do. I don't have to tell you what I will do if you come back alone, do I?"
Ivrig shook her head. "No ma'am."
"Good. Go." She turned her attention to the other two scientists. "You had better ensure everything is working," she said. "We don't want to lose the only chance we've been granted to get our hands on a test subject."
"Yes Kyla." The younger of the two male scientists hurried away immediately to check the AV recording equipment in the next room. Meke's older colleague nodded to the monitor on which the Doctor could be seen making his way through the market. "How far are you going to take the tests?" asked Stolt.
"All the way," answered Kyla. "But we will have to work fast to get all the data we need. The female with him has an air of competence, I think she might cause some trouble later. I trust that you will deal with her if it becomes necessary?"
A lascivious look stole across Stolt's features. "Oh yes," he breathed.
Kyla reached down and gripped him between the legs. "Don't screw up," she warned.
He shuddered ecstatically, eyes closed. "I won't."
"Good." She gave him a squeeze. "Go to your tasks."
He nodded, then stumbled away to the corner where a workbench was filled with an array of bottles, jars and boxes of drugs. He began methodically checking each one against a long list on a clipboard. Kyla turned back to the monitor and watched as the Doctor ambled around the market square. To think, that after all these years of preparation, the Cult of Tidherre would finally meet a Time Lord. She shivered almost as ecstatically as Stolt had done.
* * * * * *
The Doctor paused by a stall selling jewellery - it was time he bought Martha a small gift and she was fond of jewellery. He put on his glasses and bent down to closely inspect a tray of rings, rubbing at his neck absent-mindedly.
"Excuse me?" said a voice next to him.
He straightened up and found a female Sigmafolion standing beside him. "Hello?" He looked at her, feeling a little bemused to be accosted.
"Pardon me for intruding, but you're not a local and I don't often get to talk to off-worlders."
"Oh." He rubbed at the back of his neck again. Now she mentioned it, he supposed he did stand out like a sore thumb. Not only was he not blue-skinned but almost all the Sigmafolions wore loose-fitting garments in plain colours, whereas he was wrapped in several layers of tight clothes, as usual. "What can I do for you?"
"Would you mind answering a couple of questions for me?"
He shrugged. "I suppose I could."
"Shall we get out of this crowd?" She put a hand on his arm and pointed to a wooden bench at the edge of the square.
The Doctor looked down at her hand on his arm, puzzled by her familiarity. Sigmafolions were usually far more formal with strangers. "OK."
She led him across the square to the bench and sat down. He sat down beside her, wondering what was bothering him about her, apart from her over-familiarity, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was that didn't ring true.
"I hope you don't mind answering my questions. I'm a scientist you see. My name's Ivrig."
"I'm the Doctor. A scientist? What's your subject?"
"Psychology mostly," answered Ivrig. "Where are you from?"
"Oh here and there. I don't really have a permanent home, other than my ship."
"But you must have a home planet, surely?"
The Doctor shrugged again, wondering why she was so interested. "I did once," he answered evasively.
"Do you have an extensive crew on your ship?"
"No. It doesn't need a lot of us. Currently there's only me and my Companion." The Doctor smiled at the thought of Martha Jones.
"But your companion is not with you now?" asked Ivrig.
"She's exploring the market." He rubbed at his eyes. He was starting to feel drowsy, which was odd since it wasn't especially hot and it was less than 24 hours since he'd last slept.
Ivrig watched him closely as he rubbed at the back of his neck again, noting the sleepy look on his face. "Why don't I show you my lab?" she suggested.
"You have a lab? I didn't think psychologists went in for labs."
"We do." She got to her feet and held out her arm expectantly. The Doctor got up feeling a little unsteady and increasingly uneasy without knowing why, but he took Ivrig's arm and allowed her to lead him away from the market, through the streets until they reached a tall, narrow building. He briefly wondered where Martha was, but his thoughts seemed to slither away from him like a fish startled by a dropped stone in a river. Ivrig keyed a code into a numeric pad by the door, then guided the Doctor inside the building and over to the lift. The Time Lord leant back against the wall of the lift, his eyes closed and a fine sheen of sweat on his face. He felt unwell and it was an unpleasant sensation. He wished Martha was with him, she would make him feel better.
Ivrig led him out of the lift and through a door into a brightly-lit white room. The Doctor blinked at the bright lights and saw a second female Sigmafolion and two males watching him. "Ah, hello. Oh. Must sit down." He grabbed hold of a nearby chair and plonked into it in an ungainly manner, feeling dizzy and thirsty. He blinked owlishly at Ivrig. "You've drugged me?" he asked, puzzled.
"Just a little," she answered, showing him a tiny hypodermic dart.
"Why?"
"To ensure your compliance, of course," answered the older female, striding forward. "Don't worry, it'll wear off in half an hour." She turned to Ivrig and Meke. "Get him onto the bed and prepared."
The Doctor woozily tried to focus on the two Sigmafolions as they pulled him to his feet and guided him out of room and into a smaller one with a bed in the middle. He half sat, half fell down onto the bed, and Meke immediately began to undo his Converse whilst Ivrig undid his tie. Within five minutes he was naked, unconscious and Meke was attaching restraints to his wrists and ankles.
Kyla and Stolt came into the room and the four of them stood around the bed, gazing down at their prize.
"Morning's blessing upon us." Kyla was breathless with triumph and excitement.
"Morning's blessings upon us," echoed the others. Ivrig and Stolt looked greedily at the Time Lord, only Meke was less than happy, but he knew better than to voice his unhappiness. He knew what Stolt would do to him on Kyla's orders if he deviated even a hair's breadth from their plans.
* * * * * *
Martha had finished her shopping and was waiting by the clock tower, her eyes constantly scanning the crowds moving through the market square. She was vaguely surprised that she hadn't caught even a glimpse of the Doctor in her wanderings. The market square was busy, but it wasn't huge, and there were very few off-worlders present.
By the time that the Doctor was half an hour late, Martha was feeling irritated. Whilst it wasn't unusual for him to get side-tracked, he'd been a lot better about that lately. She walked over to a nearby stall and bought herself a fruit drink, then sat on a bench near the clock tower to wait.
After another half an hour Martha's mood was balanced between annoyance and concern, but she had decided that she couldn't just sit and wait any longer. She pulled her Sonic from her pocket and turned on the tracking function, then began to move methodically through the market. The Sonic, however, remained stubbornly silent and Martha reached the spot where she and the Doctor had entered the market without finding a trace of him.
Uneasy, she headed back to the TARDIS and put her bag of purchases down on the Captain's chair, then turned to the computer on the console which she knew had a more powerful scanner built into it than the tracking function in her Sonic. The TARDIS' hum had a low, questioning note that only increased Martha's sense of unease. "I don't know where he is," she said softly, running her hand across the console. "Can you find him?"
A plan of the city appeared on the screen and Martha watched as the TARDIS highlighted it grid-square by grid-square, searching for a Time Lord bio signature amongst the hundreds of Sigmafolion ones. Finally the scan stopped and the screen went blank. Martha fought off a rising sense of panic; she knew the Doctor wouldn't abandon her here, so that meant that someone had either taken him off-world or hidden him somewhere. She couldn't imagine why a Sigmafolion would want to do either of those things after all that the Doctor had told her about them, but logic told her they were the two most likely occurrences. She patted the console. "I'll find him, I promise." Then she went out to find the local Bureau of Sheriffs and enlist their aid.
Two hours later Martha was ready to scream with frustration and impatience; the clerk on the front desk at the Bureau had been courteous but sceptical when she had explained the situation to him, and she'd had to get very fierce before he took her seriously enough to fetch a more senior Sheriff to deal with her, and then she'd had to explain the situation all over again. The second Sheriff, Secan, had called in a group of six colleagues, given them a detailed description of the Doctor and sent them out to search for him. Martha just managed to refrain from pointing out that she had already told him that the TARDIS couldn't find the Doctor, and if she couldn't, no one else would. She supposed he had to follow the standard procedure for a missing person, even if it was a waste of time.
By the time the Sheriffs returned it was lunchtime, not that she had any interest in food, but when Secan offered her some lunch, she accepted knowing that she had to keep up her strength for the Doctor's sake.
"What happens now?" asked Martha.
"Now I send some Sheriffs down to interview the authorities at the spaceport to see if they know of anyone who might have agreed to shanghai your friend."
* * * * * *
The Doctor returned to consciousness abruptly and immediately tried to sit up, only to find himself restrained and naked. He craned his neck, trying to see where he was and what had happened to the Sigmafolions.
"He's awake," said a voice nearby.
"Already?" asked another.
"Yes," confirmed the first speaker.
"Make a note of that," instructed the second speaker. The Doctor recognised the voice as belonging to the older of the two female Sigmafolions. He tugged at his restraints, trying to discover whether there was any give in them.
"Ah, ah. I wouldn't, not unless you want sore wrists and ankles." The speaker walked into his line of sight.
"Why have you done this to me?" demanded the Doctor furiously.
"We wish to study you. We are the Cult of Tidherre and we exist purely to study Time Lords."
The Doctor scowled blackly. "As a general rule, if I'm interested in someone, I don't drug, strip and restrain them."
"Ah well, different cultures, different scientific methods."
"You call this a scientific method?"
"Well we intend to carry out some tests, just to establish the basic facts about you."
"Let me save you the trouble," the Doctor snarled. "Here are the basic facts: I'm pissed off and when I get out of here, which I will, I will make you very sorry you ever met me."
"Says the man who's currently naked, restrained and completely at my mercy."
"If you want to experience my mercy, you'll let me go now," the Doctor said sharply.
"Your mercy doesn't interest me." She stood over him, eyeing him intently and the Doctor suddenly felt a tiny prickle of fear. There was a degree of ruthlessness in her eyes that he'd never seen in a Sigmafolion before. "I'm Kyla by the way."
"And I'm not interested in anything except getting out of here," answered the Doctor, tugging at his restraints again.
"Oh don't worry Doctor, we'll let you go in a few days time, and when we do, you'll be a completely new man."
The Doctor looked at her sharply. Surely she didn't mean what he thought she meant? Kyla smiled at him, although it was more like a death's head leer than a genuine smile. "Yes, I do mean that you'll have regenerated. I'm sure your little friend will be amused when you meet her again."
"No! NO!" roared the Doctor, anguished at the thought of Martha having to cope with a new version of him.
"Oh yes, I'm afraid so, Doctor."
* * * * * *
Martha stopped the recording with a sick feeling in her stomach. The fact that she, Secan and the Sheriffs had got to the Doctor a few hours before the Cult had forced him to regenerate still chilled her to the bone. She had no idea how she and the Doctor would have dealt with a regeneration in such circumstances or what it would have done to their relationship.
Alaunus put his hand on her arm and she gave him a shaky smile. "Are you OK?"
She nodded. "It's just the thought that if Meke hadn't betrayed the Cult and contacted me, the man I love would be wearing a different face now.
* * * * * *
Glossary of Names
Tidherre - Time Lord (Swedish)
Krigare - Warrior (Swedish)
Alaunus - Gaulish god of the sun, healing and prophecy in Celtic Mythology
Therma - Warm (Greek)
Kyla - Cold (Swedish)
Stolt - Haughty (Swedish)
Ivrig - Forward (Danish)
Meke - Submissive (Swedish)
Secan - Seeker (Anglo-Saxon)
Author: Persiflage_1
Characters/Pairings: Tenth Doctor/Martha, OCs
Rating: NC-17
Spoilers: Season 3 (Set in a post-S3 AU)
Summary: Travelling with the Doctor is always an adventure, but sometimes the adventures are not fun.
Disclaimer: The BBC owns "Doctor Who" and all that jazz…
Warning: There are going to be descriptions of torture.
Author Notes: This is going to be a lengthy story. It's a follow up to the Celebrating Martha's Birthday series and opens about 6 months after Martha agreed to travel with the Doctor again. The story will make use of flashbacks to describe Ten and Martha's adventures during those 6 months. The story is set on Meta Sigmafolio, the planet to which Ten offered to take Martha to see "a burst of starfire like oil on water" at the end of "The Last of the Time Lords" - so I've created some original characters and an alien culture for them.
Chapter One: Smith and Jones Again
Chapter Two: Field Testing
~~~~~~
Meta Sigmafolio Day 6
Therma quietly edged open the door to the Doctor's room. She knew that Martha refused to leave his side except to use the bathroom and that she often took catnaps when the hospital was quiet. She didn't want to wake Martha if she was sleeping, even though she knew that the Krigare would be eager to receive the packet that Therma carried. A runner had just delivered it from the Bureau Chief and it contained copies of all the data the Sheriffs had retrieved from the Cult of Tidherre's labs.
Martha was sitting at the Doctor's bedside, her head resting on her folded arms which were on the edge of his bed near his head. As Therma moved quietly towards the side table, Martha lifted her head from her arms and looked over at the young Sigmafolion, who bowed.
"Morning's blessings upon you Krigare."
"Morning's blessings on you too Therma." Martha had given up trying to persuade Therma not to call her Krigare.
"The Bureau Chief has sent over the data from the Cult," Therma said, holding out the packet.
Martha suppressed a shudder of distaste and accepted the packet. "Thank you." She moved to sit at the side table and opened the packet to find a thick sheaf of papers and a laser disc. "Does the hospital have a portable player for this?" she asked.
Therma nodded. "We record patient-healer interactions on a regular basis in long-term cases."
"Good." Martha laid the disc in its case to one side, then turned to the papers.
"I will bring your breakfast."
Martha looked up and smiled. "Thank you."
Therma went out, her own face lit by a smile. The Krigare was very beautiful as well as very clever and a mighty warrior, and Therma admired her immensely. She had never met someone with the knowledge of healing who could also disable an attacker, and until she met Martha she would have said the two things were wholly incompatible. She couldn't help wishing that she had met the Krigare under different circumstances so that she could learn more of Martha's world and her life.
The sheaf of papers lay in front of Martha but for the moment she couldn't face looking at them - she knew it was going to be painful. She closed her eyes instead and thought back to the events that had brought her and the Doctor to this point.
Somewhere above Meta Sigmafolio, 6 days ago
The TARDIS doors were open, and Martha and the Doctor were sitting in the doorway, their feet dangling outside. She had her back to his chest as she sat between his legs and his arms were wrapped around her middle as they watched the burst of starfire above Meta Sigmafolio. Two colours predominated: a pinky-purple that filled the lower half of the sky, shading from purple into midnight blue at the bottom and into a pinky-yellow at the top, whilst the upper half of the sky was predominantly aquamarine, shading up from the pinky-yellow at the bottom and into an emerald green at the top.
The Doctor tightened his arms around Martha's middle as he spoke in her ear. "This was a brilliant idea of yours, Doctor Jones."
She turned her head and grinned at him. "Well it was my idea," she said slyly.
"Are you implying I never have brilliant ideas?" he asked, mock offence in his tone, but a twinkle in his deep brown eyes.
"Well you've been known to have one or two good ones."
"You're getting cheekier, the longer you spend with me." He kissed her cheek by way of emphasis.
"Yeah? Something must be rubbing off then."
"Talking of rubbing - " The Doctor left his sentence unfinished, but shifted his body against hers.
Martha chuckled. "If I'm getting cheekier, then you're definitely getting randier."
"Is it my fault that you're so beautiful and sexy?" he asked plaintively.
"No, that's the fault of my parents and their genes." She could feel the Doctor's erection pressing against her bum and wondered if he'd want to make love right there in the doorway - it wouldn't be the first time. His right hand pulled her t-shirt loose at the front, then snaked up over her belly to fondle her left breast. Martha gasped as he thumbed her nipple.
"You're getting insatiable," she teased.
"Getting? Martha Jones, I've been insatiable for ages where you're concerned, it's just that now I've stopped pretending I'm not." His left hand unbuttoned her jeans as he spoke, then he started licking her neck below her ear, knowing that it drove her crazy. Martha moaned and he slipped his hand inside her jeans and knickers to touch her with firm, strong strokes. She surrendered herself to the sensations he provoked, knowing that he wouldn't be distracted now he'd started. The last light of the starfire tinged their skin and reflected in their eyes as they made love with passionate abandon, the TARDIS humming joyfully in their heads. Martha had noticed that she had become far more attuned to the ship's feelings and moods in the few months that she'd been travelling with the Doctor, and she knew that the ship was glad of her presence and the love she had for the Time Lord. Somehow she felt that the TARDIS was less lonely these days, just like her master.
When they had got their breath back and were dressed again, the Doctor said, "Breakfast?" and Martha agreed that breakfast was a good idea. "We'll go and have breakfast with the Sigmafolions," the Doctor said. "They're lovely people, very peaceful. Humanoids but blue-skinned. They've produced some brilliant poets, artists and healers. We'll see if we can visit the hospital in the capital city so that you can find out more." He gave her one of his heart-stopping smiles as his fingers danced across the console, entering the co-ordinates for the planet below. He held out a hand to her and she moved to stand beside him, one arm circling his slender waist and her free hand holding on tight to the console. He held the console with his right hand and wrapped his left arm around her, tucking her body closer to his.
"Your landings have got better," Martha observed as they let go of the console moments later.
"Actually," whispered the Doctor, "That's the TARDIS. She started feeling guilty about your bruises."
She looked at him wide-eyed with surprise, knowing he was serious because he never lied about his ship. "Well I'm grateful." She ran a hand along the edge of the console in passing. Thank you. The TARDIS hummed jauntily and she followed the Doctor down the ramp to the doors, grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
They had breakfast at a pavement cafe, devouring coffee and croissants with enthusiasm. Martha decided she was extremely lucky: sex with the Doctor frequently left her ravenously hungry so that she ate masses, but between the sex and all the running for her life that she did, she never put on any extra weight.
Finally they agreed they'd eaten enough and the Doctor paid, then offered Martha his arm. "Tell you what," he said, "We'll go and take a look at the market - you can find some mementoes for your family, and then we'll see about visiting the hospital, OK?"
"Sounds perfect," she agreed, pleased. Although she hadn't said anything to him, she knew that according to Earth standard time, it was six months since they'd started travelling together again and she wanted to get him a thank you gift. A month after she'd started travelling with him, she'd asked him for a way of keeping track of time on Earth so that she could stay in touch with her mum, and he'd understood her reason for asking so he'd built her a calendar that was programmed to Earth time. Whilst Francine had accepted that Martha was travelling with the Doctor again, she still worried about her daughter, and Martha understood that concern after all they'd been through, so she made a point of ringing her mum regularly.
They found the market easily and wandered for a while, looking at the stalls, but Martha sensed that the Doctor was starting to get a little fidgety and since she wanted to get him a surprise gift, she suggested that they split up.
He looked down into her face. "Are you sure? I don't mind shopping with you, honestly."
"Of course I'm sure. I know you, you're desperate to wander and I haven't bought anything yet."
"OK." He fished in his jacket pocket and pulled out a handful of notes and coins. "That should be enough. I'll meet you in an hour by the clock tower."
She nodded, gave him a hug and a kiss, then watched him wander off before turning back to a stall that carried a tie pin that had caught her eye earlier.
* * * * * *
Elsewhere in the city four scientists were gathered in an excited huddle around a monitor that indicated that their dearest wish was about to be realised. The most senior of the four was a severe-looking female Sigmafolion with a steely, determined manner that intimidated almost everyone she met. She turned now to a second, younger female and looked at her colleague expectantly.
"Ivrig, you know what to do. I don't have to tell you what I will do if you come back alone, do I?"
Ivrig shook her head. "No ma'am."
"Good. Go." She turned her attention to the other two scientists. "You had better ensure everything is working," she said. "We don't want to lose the only chance we've been granted to get our hands on a test subject."
"Yes Kyla." The younger of the two male scientists hurried away immediately to check the AV recording equipment in the next room. Meke's older colleague nodded to the monitor on which the Doctor could be seen making his way through the market. "How far are you going to take the tests?" asked Stolt.
"All the way," answered Kyla. "But we will have to work fast to get all the data we need. The female with him has an air of competence, I think she might cause some trouble later. I trust that you will deal with her if it becomes necessary?"
A lascivious look stole across Stolt's features. "Oh yes," he breathed.
Kyla reached down and gripped him between the legs. "Don't screw up," she warned.
He shuddered ecstatically, eyes closed. "I won't."
"Good." She gave him a squeeze. "Go to your tasks."
He nodded, then stumbled away to the corner where a workbench was filled with an array of bottles, jars and boxes of drugs. He began methodically checking each one against a long list on a clipboard. Kyla turned back to the monitor and watched as the Doctor ambled around the market square. To think, that after all these years of preparation, the Cult of Tidherre would finally meet a Time Lord. She shivered almost as ecstatically as Stolt had done.
* * * * * *
The Doctor paused by a stall selling jewellery - it was time he bought Martha a small gift and she was fond of jewellery. He put on his glasses and bent down to closely inspect a tray of rings, rubbing at his neck absent-mindedly.
"Excuse me?" said a voice next to him.
He straightened up and found a female Sigmafolion standing beside him. "Hello?" He looked at her, feeling a little bemused to be accosted.
"Pardon me for intruding, but you're not a local and I don't often get to talk to off-worlders."
"Oh." He rubbed at the back of his neck again. Now she mentioned it, he supposed he did stand out like a sore thumb. Not only was he not blue-skinned but almost all the Sigmafolions wore loose-fitting garments in plain colours, whereas he was wrapped in several layers of tight clothes, as usual. "What can I do for you?"
"Would you mind answering a couple of questions for me?"
He shrugged. "I suppose I could."
"Shall we get out of this crowd?" She put a hand on his arm and pointed to a wooden bench at the edge of the square.
The Doctor looked down at her hand on his arm, puzzled by her familiarity. Sigmafolions were usually far more formal with strangers. "OK."
She led him across the square to the bench and sat down. He sat down beside her, wondering what was bothering him about her, apart from her over-familiarity, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was that didn't ring true.
"I hope you don't mind answering my questions. I'm a scientist you see. My name's Ivrig."
"I'm the Doctor. A scientist? What's your subject?"
"Psychology mostly," answered Ivrig. "Where are you from?"
"Oh here and there. I don't really have a permanent home, other than my ship."
"But you must have a home planet, surely?"
The Doctor shrugged again, wondering why she was so interested. "I did once," he answered evasively.
"Do you have an extensive crew on your ship?"
"No. It doesn't need a lot of us. Currently there's only me and my Companion." The Doctor smiled at the thought of Martha Jones.
"But your companion is not with you now?" asked Ivrig.
"She's exploring the market." He rubbed at his eyes. He was starting to feel drowsy, which was odd since it wasn't especially hot and it was less than 24 hours since he'd last slept.
Ivrig watched him closely as he rubbed at the back of his neck again, noting the sleepy look on his face. "Why don't I show you my lab?" she suggested.
"You have a lab? I didn't think psychologists went in for labs."
"We do." She got to her feet and held out her arm expectantly. The Doctor got up feeling a little unsteady and increasingly uneasy without knowing why, but he took Ivrig's arm and allowed her to lead him away from the market, through the streets until they reached a tall, narrow building. He briefly wondered where Martha was, but his thoughts seemed to slither away from him like a fish startled by a dropped stone in a river. Ivrig keyed a code into a numeric pad by the door, then guided the Doctor inside the building and over to the lift. The Time Lord leant back against the wall of the lift, his eyes closed and a fine sheen of sweat on his face. He felt unwell and it was an unpleasant sensation. He wished Martha was with him, she would make him feel better.
Ivrig led him out of the lift and through a door into a brightly-lit white room. The Doctor blinked at the bright lights and saw a second female Sigmafolion and two males watching him. "Ah, hello. Oh. Must sit down." He grabbed hold of a nearby chair and plonked into it in an ungainly manner, feeling dizzy and thirsty. He blinked owlishly at Ivrig. "You've drugged me?" he asked, puzzled.
"Just a little," she answered, showing him a tiny hypodermic dart.
"Why?"
"To ensure your compliance, of course," answered the older female, striding forward. "Don't worry, it'll wear off in half an hour." She turned to Ivrig and Meke. "Get him onto the bed and prepared."
The Doctor woozily tried to focus on the two Sigmafolions as they pulled him to his feet and guided him out of room and into a smaller one with a bed in the middle. He half sat, half fell down onto the bed, and Meke immediately began to undo his Converse whilst Ivrig undid his tie. Within five minutes he was naked, unconscious and Meke was attaching restraints to his wrists and ankles.
Kyla and Stolt came into the room and the four of them stood around the bed, gazing down at their prize.
"Morning's blessing upon us." Kyla was breathless with triumph and excitement.
"Morning's blessings upon us," echoed the others. Ivrig and Stolt looked greedily at the Time Lord, only Meke was less than happy, but he knew better than to voice his unhappiness. He knew what Stolt would do to him on Kyla's orders if he deviated even a hair's breadth from their plans.
* * * * * *
Martha had finished her shopping and was waiting by the clock tower, her eyes constantly scanning the crowds moving through the market square. She was vaguely surprised that she hadn't caught even a glimpse of the Doctor in her wanderings. The market square was busy, but it wasn't huge, and there were very few off-worlders present.
By the time that the Doctor was half an hour late, Martha was feeling irritated. Whilst it wasn't unusual for him to get side-tracked, he'd been a lot better about that lately. She walked over to a nearby stall and bought herself a fruit drink, then sat on a bench near the clock tower to wait.
After another half an hour Martha's mood was balanced between annoyance and concern, but she had decided that she couldn't just sit and wait any longer. She pulled her Sonic from her pocket and turned on the tracking function, then began to move methodically through the market. The Sonic, however, remained stubbornly silent and Martha reached the spot where she and the Doctor had entered the market without finding a trace of him.
Uneasy, she headed back to the TARDIS and put her bag of purchases down on the Captain's chair, then turned to the computer on the console which she knew had a more powerful scanner built into it than the tracking function in her Sonic. The TARDIS' hum had a low, questioning note that only increased Martha's sense of unease. "I don't know where he is," she said softly, running her hand across the console. "Can you find him?"
A plan of the city appeared on the screen and Martha watched as the TARDIS highlighted it grid-square by grid-square, searching for a Time Lord bio signature amongst the hundreds of Sigmafolion ones. Finally the scan stopped and the screen went blank. Martha fought off a rising sense of panic; she knew the Doctor wouldn't abandon her here, so that meant that someone had either taken him off-world or hidden him somewhere. She couldn't imagine why a Sigmafolion would want to do either of those things after all that the Doctor had told her about them, but logic told her they were the two most likely occurrences. She patted the console. "I'll find him, I promise." Then she went out to find the local Bureau of Sheriffs and enlist their aid.
Two hours later Martha was ready to scream with frustration and impatience; the clerk on the front desk at the Bureau had been courteous but sceptical when she had explained the situation to him, and she'd had to get very fierce before he took her seriously enough to fetch a more senior Sheriff to deal with her, and then she'd had to explain the situation all over again. The second Sheriff, Secan, had called in a group of six colleagues, given them a detailed description of the Doctor and sent them out to search for him. Martha just managed to refrain from pointing out that she had already told him that the TARDIS couldn't find the Doctor, and if she couldn't, no one else would. She supposed he had to follow the standard procedure for a missing person, even if it was a waste of time.
By the time the Sheriffs returned it was lunchtime, not that she had any interest in food, but when Secan offered her some lunch, she accepted knowing that she had to keep up her strength for the Doctor's sake.
"What happens now?" asked Martha.
"Now I send some Sheriffs down to interview the authorities at the spaceport to see if they know of anyone who might have agreed to shanghai your friend."
* * * * * *
The Doctor returned to consciousness abruptly and immediately tried to sit up, only to find himself restrained and naked. He craned his neck, trying to see where he was and what had happened to the Sigmafolions.
"He's awake," said a voice nearby.
"Already?" asked another.
"Yes," confirmed the first speaker.
"Make a note of that," instructed the second speaker. The Doctor recognised the voice as belonging to the older of the two female Sigmafolions. He tugged at his restraints, trying to discover whether there was any give in them.
"Ah, ah. I wouldn't, not unless you want sore wrists and ankles." The speaker walked into his line of sight.
"Why have you done this to me?" demanded the Doctor furiously.
"We wish to study you. We are the Cult of Tidherre and we exist purely to study Time Lords."
The Doctor scowled blackly. "As a general rule, if I'm interested in someone, I don't drug, strip and restrain them."
"Ah well, different cultures, different scientific methods."
"You call this a scientific method?"
"Well we intend to carry out some tests, just to establish the basic facts about you."
"Let me save you the trouble," the Doctor snarled. "Here are the basic facts: I'm pissed off and when I get out of here, which I will, I will make you very sorry you ever met me."
"Says the man who's currently naked, restrained and completely at my mercy."
"If you want to experience my mercy, you'll let me go now," the Doctor said sharply.
"Your mercy doesn't interest me." She stood over him, eyeing him intently and the Doctor suddenly felt a tiny prickle of fear. There was a degree of ruthlessness in her eyes that he'd never seen in a Sigmafolion before. "I'm Kyla by the way."
"And I'm not interested in anything except getting out of here," answered the Doctor, tugging at his restraints again.
"Oh don't worry Doctor, we'll let you go in a few days time, and when we do, you'll be a completely new man."
The Doctor looked at her sharply. Surely she didn't mean what he thought she meant? Kyla smiled at him, although it was more like a death's head leer than a genuine smile. "Yes, I do mean that you'll have regenerated. I'm sure your little friend will be amused when you meet her again."
"No! NO!" roared the Doctor, anguished at the thought of Martha having to cope with a new version of him.
"Oh yes, I'm afraid so, Doctor."
* * * * * *
Martha stopped the recording with a sick feeling in her stomach. The fact that she, Secan and the Sheriffs had got to the Doctor a few hours before the Cult had forced him to regenerate still chilled her to the bone. She had no idea how she and the Doctor would have dealt with a regeneration in such circumstances or what it would have done to their relationship.
Alaunus put his hand on her arm and she gave him a shaky smile. "Are you OK?"
She nodded. "It's just the thought that if Meke hadn't betrayed the Cult and contacted me, the man I love would be wearing a different face now.
* * * * * *
Glossary of Names
Tidherre - Time Lord (Swedish)
Krigare - Warrior (Swedish)
Alaunus - Gaulish god of the sun, healing and prophecy in Celtic Mythology
Therma - Warm (Greek)
Kyla - Cold (Swedish)
Stolt - Haughty (Swedish)
Ivrig - Forward (Danish)
Meke - Submissive (Swedish)
Secan - Seeker (Anglo-Saxon)