DW - One-Shot: Cities of Pure Silver
Title: Cities of Pure Silver
Author: Jaelijn
Disclaimer: Doctor Who and all associated items are property of BBC. The Doctor's tenth regeneration was largely shaped by Mr Russell T. Davies, creator of the new Doctor Who, and Mr David Tennant. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating: PG
Warnings: possibly triggering topic
Characters: Tenth Doctor, Donna Noble, OC (Carna Vesn)
Prompt: domestic abuse (emotional)
Summary: After rescuing a woman from the hands of dangerous aliens, the Doctor and Donna are taking her home in the TARDIS - only to learn a shocking truth.
Author's Note: Tenth Doctor fic. Written for hc_bingo .
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“Hello, then! I'm the Doctor, that's Donna,” said the Doctor, still running at full speed, but apparently not a fraction out of breath. “What's you're name?”
“Carna,” the violet-skinned young woman they had just rescued from a bunch of dangerous aliens gasped. Despite her captivity, and having been tied up for an uncertain amount of time, she could easily keep up with the Doctor's speed, while Donna was already panting and falling behind.
The Doctor took hold of her hand, and together they sped on, the roar of the alien creatures, which, by the way, had looked like lions walking on two legs, grew lower only to disappear altogether as they sped around a corner into the alley were they had left the TARDIS. They had not intended to get into trouble, but then the Doctor had picked up a strange signal with his screwdriver - the energy signature of Carna's bonds - and they had been off to investigate.
Donna had let out an indignant squeak at the sight of the lion people, and even the Doctor had been quick to get Carna free and out of the way of those aliens. Now, he ushered her into the TARDIS and hurried up to the console, setting the machine in motion with some fluid movements.
Carna had stopped dead near the door, and Donna whispered, still out of breath: “It's bigger on the inside, don't worry.”
“I have never seen such a ship,” Carna replied.
The Doctor looked up. “Ah, yes - sorry about that. But blimey, you can run!”
Carna's skin began to glitter, causing Donna to hurry to the Doctor's side. “What is that?”
“It's nothing, Donna. She is smiling. Now, I'm gonna take you home, Carna! Planet Crit, is it?”
“Yes, that is right.” Carna came up to the console, staring at the rising and falling of the engines in amazement.
“Crit is an amazing planet, Donna.” The Doctor sat back against the command bench, folding his arms. “The sky's are tinted violet - well, apparently, and they have cities of pure silver, while the plains are covered in grass all shades of blue and violet. Oh, and I am going to show you the ocean, now that we're already there - I promise you, you have never seen something alike - the ocean on Crit, Donna, is a sentient creature!”
Donna gave the Doctor a harsh look, stopping the neverending flow of words. She had noticed that Carna was clutching the edge of the console in a lilac-knuckled grip, trembling. “Carna? What's wrong? Is it something those lion things have done? I promise you, the Doctor can help you.”
Carna tore her gaze away from the rising and falling column and looked at Donna, her eyes wide. “No, no, I'm fine. I'm all right. I just want to be home.” Still, Carna's voice trembled, and her whole body was tense.
The Doctor could see that as well, and he stepped up to her. “You can tell me, Carna. We won't harm you, Donna and me. We just want to help.”
“No! I'm fine! I'm fine...” Carna backed away, putting distance between herself and them. She was still trembling fiercely, enough to mark her words a lie.
The Doctor regarded her thoughtfully, but didn't press the matter further. “Well, from the looks of you clothes and skin pattern I'd say Northern Continent, the family of Vesn, perhaps? It will be best if I take you directly to the homestead, then your family can take care of you.” The Doctor turned away to adjust some controls, but whirled around immediately as Carna let out a small whimpered and her knees buckled below her.
Had Donna not caught her, she would have smashed into the TARDIS's mesh floor. “Carna, what's wrong? Come on, you can tell me.” Donna sat down beside her on the step leading to the lower level of the console room, rubbing her arm soothingly. “What did they do?”
Suddenly, the Doctor's shadow loomed over them. “Oh, Carna, I am sorry. I am so sorry.”
“Why?” Donna asked, shocked. “What is it?”
The Doctor squatted down beside Carna. “I did not think. I have barely had contact with the Vesn family on my first visit - I really am sorry.”
Carna nodded, still trembling, and huddled closer to Donna. She was crying.
“What did they do to her?” Donna whispered.
The Doctor looked at her, gravely. “The family has the reputation of being not very kind to its female members. Every relationship is arranged, and breeding is strictly scheduled - disobedience is not tolerated. The females of Vesn live in fear.”
“But then you can't take her back there!” Donna was horrified. “We didn't rescue her to deliver her back into the hands of those people!”
The Doctor shook his head. “No, we did not. But it is not as easy as that, Donna. The families on Crit keep separate from each other, and they are physically distinguishable - you have seen me do it. I can't just drop Carna off in another sector, she will be recognised and brought back to her own.”
Carna let out a small whimper again. “I don't mind. Just take me home.”
“But you can't go back there! You heard what the Doctor said!”
The Doctor gently took hold of Carna's chin, tilting her head towards him. “Look at me, Carna. Look at me.”
She peered up at him, her eyes filled with desperation.
“I can take you anywhere. Everywhere, wherever you chose. I am offering you a chance to escape, to live your own life, free. But I can't take you back to that planet. I am so sorry.”
Carna hiccuped, brushing away her tears. “I don't want to go back.”
“Yes, you do.”
“Not to my family.”
The Doctor nodded. “I understand. I'll pick a nice, peaceful, tolerant planet for you, shall I?” He rose and changed the course of the TARDIS, while Donna remained seated beside Carna, trying to comfort her. She couldn't quite imagine how it was to be exiled from her own planet, but she thought that the Doctor could empathize. After all, he could never return to his planet, either.
Carna had regained her control by the time the TARDIS landed, and seemed actually to look forward to this new life. “Thank you, Doctor.”
The Doctor opened the doors for her with a flick of a switch. “There you go. Brand new life.”
Carna glittered again, and started to walk away, but stopped on the threshold. “Where will you go now, Doctor? Back to the planet I see in your mind, the planet of the burnt orange skies, the mountains stretching on forever, capped in snow?”
“No. Gallifrey is gone. I can never go back.”
“I am sorry.”
The Doctor brushed the memory away with a grin. “Good luck, Carna!”
“Thank you.”
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