Shooting Star // Eternalian Chronicles Book 1

33) .Cold Earth.

(Edited)

.Cold Blood.

This is the story of our planet, Earth. Of the day a thousand years past when we came to share it with a race known as Humanity. It is the story of the Destroyer, who helped our races find common ground, and the terrible losses she suffered. It is the story of our past and must never be forgotten.

~Catherine Wood~

I rushed to the man, wrapping my arms around him and pulling him into a tight embrace. I almost cried, if I'm being honest. I was so relieved to see him standing there. I didn't even care that I didn't know Nasreen that well. I hugged her just as tightly.

"Man, is it good to see you," I sighed happily. 

The Doctor smiled. "Where's Amy? Is she here too?" 

My grin dropped. How was I going to tell him? 

The Doctor's expression mirrored mine. "What is it? Where is she?"

"I'm sorry, Doctor, I really am." 

He was getting angry now, I could tell. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Where. Is. She?"

"She was unconscious when I woke up. I couldn't carry her when I moved to find an exit. When I came back, she was gone." 

The Doctor didn't say anything after that which worried me. 

"Is she going to be okay, Doctor? Has she been eaten by anything? I'm so worried." 

The Doctor shook his head and pulled me in for another hug.

"No, no, no. She'll be fine," he promised. "This place is enormous and deserted. The majority of the race are probably still asleep. We need to find Amy. Looking for heat signature anomalies." 

The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver and did as he said, leaving me still in his arms. I carefully pulled away.

"But Doctor, how can all this be here?" Nasreen asked, still looking around at the glory before her. "I mean, these plants."

"Must be getting closer to the center of the city." It wasn't exactly the answer Nasreen was looking for, but she went with it. 

I bit my lip slightly in nervousness. "Are you sure we should enter this way, I mean, what it we meet whatever is living down here? The ..." What had the Doctor called them? "Homo Reptilia?" 

"Don't worry, Catherine," he said. "The Homo Reptilia won't harm us." 

Alarms blazed, making me jump. Great. What was he saying? 

"Maybe," he corrected himself. "Perhaps a back way would be the best." 

Grabbing my hand, the Doctor took off back into the tunnels, Nasreen following closely behind. He hesitated for a moment, not sure which way to go, but turned right, leading us down. However, the first life forms came into sight, walking quick and looking fierce, holding guns in their hands. I froze and tugged the Doctor the other way, but there were Homo Reptilia coming that way as well.

"Uh ... Doctor, what do we do?" I asked in a voice of urgency. 

We were going to be eaten, weren't we? Don't all reptiles not eat meat? Maybe just some? I was internally screaming. This was not how I wanted to die today. The man dropped my hand and put his up in surrender. I followed his actions.

"We're not hostile!" he called to the soldiers who stopped in front and behind us. "We're not armed. We're here in peace!" 

One of the soldiers stepped forward, and just as I thought we were safe, the creature raised it's weapon and pulled the trigger. Gas emitted from it, and I coughed, trying to wave it away. The Doctor next to me began to drop. This wasn't sleeping gas, was it? I wasn't usually prone to that kind of thing. Right? I was mostly human now. I shouldn't be able to withstand this. Nasreen fell to the ground on my other side and the Doctor, with one tight squeeze of my hand dropped, unconscious.