The TARDIS rocked and lurched roughly, throwing its occupants about like rag dolls, since the Doctor had ignored the Artist's advice and not used the stabilisers. Finally, the rough ride stopped as the box settled into land. "Set the controls to random." the Doctor said, picking himself up and helping his fiancé up too, "Mystery tour. Outside that door could be any planet, anywhere, any when, in the whole wide..."
"You okay, Donna?" the Artist asked, noticing that the human looked rather shaky.
"Terrified." Donna replied, "I mean, history's one thing, but an alien planet!"
"We could always take ya home." the Doctor joked.
"Yeah, don't laugh at me." Donna snorted.
"I know what it's like." the Doctor said more sympathetically, grabbing his coat off a Y-beam, "Everything you're feeling right now. The fear, the wonder, the joy, we get that!"
"Seriously?" Donna questioned, "After all this time?"
"Oh, yeah. That's why we keep going." the Artist replied, moving to the monitor to do an environment check. After Pompeii, she decided to get back in the habit of checking where they were before leaving the TARDIS.
"Oh, alright then" Donna said, "This is barmy! I was born in Chiswick. I've only ever done package holidays. And now I'm here. This is so... I mean it's... I dunno, it's all sorta, I dunno what the word is." She opened the door and stepped out to find that they'd landed on a snowy planet, reminiscent of Hoth from Star Wars. "I've got the word, freezing!"
The Doctor stepped out too. "Snow!" he grinned, "Real snow. Proper snow at last!"
"Bit cold." Donna shivered, regretting wearing a thin blouse today.
"Look at that view." the Doctor said, looking out at a glacier beyond the ridge they'd landed on.
"Yep, beautiful. Cold view." Donna retorted.
"Millions of planet, millions of galaxies and we're on this one, molto bene!" the Doctor began to ramble, "Bellissimo says Donna. Born in Chiswick. All you've got is a life of work and sleep, and telly and rent, tax and takeaway dinners, all..birthdays and Christmases and two weeks holiday a year, and then you end up here! Donna Noble, citizen of the Earth, standing on a different planet. How 'bout that Donna?" He turned round to see that Donna had disappeared and the Artist was nowhere to be seen either. "Artist? Donna?" he called out.
The TARDIS door opened and both women stepped out. Donna was now wearing a think fur-lined coat with the hood up, while the Artist was wearing her regular green jacket, but had swapped her black biker boots for brown snow boots. "Sorry, you were saying?" Donna asked the Doctor, having not heard much of his ramble.
"Better?" the Doctor huffed.
"Much better, thanks." Donna waved him off.
"Environment checks, they work wonders." the Artist said simply, "Here you go." She handed the Doctor a black beanie which he put on.
"As I was saying" he resumed, "Citizen of the Earth.." He was cut off by a large red rocket flying overhead.
"A rocket!" Donna said in awe, "A real, proper rocket! Now that's what I call a spaceship. You've got a box, they've got a Ferrari! C'mon, let's go see where it's going." She dashed off eagerly while the Doctor looked at the TARDIS, offended at the slight against his home.
"If that's a Ferrari, then the TARDIS is a Rolls Royce." the Artist patted his shoulder soothingly.
"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" the Doctor replied, feeling better, and hand-in-hand, they went off after Donna.
———————————————————————————
The trio walked through the snowy landscape for a bit when the Time Lords suddenly stopped, hearing ethereal music in their heads. "Hold on, can ya hear that?" the Doctor questioned.
"What is it?" Donna asked, lowering her hood.
"Sounds like someone singing." the Artist observed. She and the Doctor looked around to try and find the source.
"Over there." the Doctor said, pointing to something lying in the snow nearby. The trio rushed over quickly to find that it was a body. The Time Lords knelt down beside it and brushed the snow away to see that the body was that of an Ood, still alive, but just barely.
"What is it?" Donna asked.
"This is an Ood." the Artist told her while the Doctor pulled out his stethoscope.
"But it's face." Donna squirmed.
"Donna, not now." the Doctor scolded, "He's a he, not an it. Give us a hand."
"Sorry." Donna muttered, kneeling down too while the Doctor examined the Ood.
"I dunno where the heart is." he muttered, "I dunno if he's got a heart."
"Okay, we'll talk to him, keep him going." the Artist replied, then turned to the Ood; "It's okay, we've got you. What's your name?"
"Designated Ood Delta 50." the Ood replied weakly.
"My name's Donna." the human said into the translator ball.
"You don't have to do that." the Artist told her.
"Sorry." Donna muttered, putting the ball down, "Oh, god, this is the Doctor. Just what you need, a doctor, eh?" she encouraged the Ood, "And she's the Artist, the kindest woman you'll ever meet."
"You've been shot." the Doctor observed, seeing a bullet wound on the Ood's stomach.
"The circle.." Ood Delta 50 strained.
"No, don't try to talk." Donna soothed.
"The circle must be broken."
"What's the circle?" the Artist asked him gently, "Delta 50, what circle must be broken?"
Ood Delta 50's eyes fluttered closed, then suddenly snapped open, glowing red this time. The trio jumped back as he roared and tried to lunge at them, only to suddenly fall back in the snow dead.
"He's gone." Donna sighed, going closer again.
"Careful." the Artist warned her friend, remembering what happened the last time she saw an Ood with red eyes.
Donna knelt back beside the dead Ood. "There ya go, sweetheart." she said gently, stroking his head. "What d'we do? Do we bury him?" she asked the Time Lords.
"The snow will take care of that." the Artist replied, lowering her hood while the Doctor took his hat off in respect for the deceased Ood.
"Who was he?" Donna asked, "What's an Ood?"
"They're servants of humans in the 42nd century." the Doctor replied, "Mildly telepathic."
"That's what the song was." the Artist added, "He was reaching out with his mind to other Ood."
"I couldn't hear anything." Donna said, standing up. "He sang as he was dying." she shook her head sadly.
"His eyes turned red." the Doctor frowned, remembering what the Artist had told him about the Ood on Krop Tor.
"What's that mean?" Donna questioned.
"It means trouble." the Artist sighed, "And I think we'd better investigate."
"Come on." the Doctor said, taking her hand and they walked on, Donna following them.
"Ood are normally peaceful and benign." the Artist explained to Donna, "But last time we met them, a powerful force took them over and controlled them like puppets, turning their eyes red in the process."
"What sort of force?" Donna asked.
"Long story." the Doctor waved her off.
"Long walk."
"It was the Devil."
"If you're gonna take the mickey, I'll just put my hood back up." Donna grunted.
"Must be something different this time, though." the Doctor muttered, ignoring Donna, "Something closer to home." They reached the top of a hill and saw a compound of buildings in the distance. "Ah, civilisation." the Doctor remarked.
The Artist took out her binoculars and looked at the compound closely. She noticed a sign saying; 'Ood Operations'. "I think the answer may lie in there." she told the others.
———————————————————————————
At Ood Operations, a group of smartly dressed people were gathering outside one of the buildings. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Oodsphere." an Indian woman greeted them, "And isn't it bracing? Here are your information packs, with vouchers, 3D tickets and a map of the complex." An Ood stepped forward and began handing out folders. "My name's Solana, head of marketing. I'm sure we've all spoken on the vidphone. Now, if you'd like to follow me."
The three time travellers pushed their way through the crowd. "Sorry, sorry." the Doctor cut in, "Late. Don't mind us! The guards let us through."
"And you would be?" Solana eyed them suspiciously.
"The Artist, the Doctor, and Donna Noble." the Doctor replied, flashing her his psychic paper.
"Representing the Noble Corporation PLC Limited, intergalactic." Donna added. On the way over, the trio had concocted a suitable cover for themselves.
"Must have fallen off my list." Solana said apologetically, "My apologies, won't happen again. Now then, Miss Artist, Dr Noble, Mrs Noble, if you'd like to follow me..."
"Oh, no, no, no, no. We're not married." the Doctor replied quickly.
"We're so not married." Donna agreed.
"Never."
"Never ever."
"Only one woman for me." the Doctor finished, slipping an arm around the Artist.
"We're engaged." the Artist told her with a laugh, slipping an arm around the Doctor and showing Solana her engagement ring.
"Of course, my apologies again." Solana nodded, "And here is your information pack. Vouchers inside." She handed the Doctor a folder. "Now, if you'd like to come with me, the executive suites are nice and warm."
Just then, a siren started blaring. "Oh, what's that?" the Doctor asked, "That sounds like an alarm."
"Oh, it's just a siren..." Solana said hastily, "For the end of the work shift. Now then, this way, quick as you can!" she began to usher everyone inside.
"If that's to denote a shift change, then I'm a Sontaran." the Artist remarked to the Doctor as they went inside.
——————————————————————————
Everyone was soon standing in a presentation suite, where three Ood were lined up on pedestals. Solana was standing in front of a screen giving a presentation; "As you can see, the Ood are happy to serve and we keep them in facilities of the highest standard. Here at the Double O, that's Ood Operations, we like to think of the Ood as our trusted friends. We keep the Ood healthy, safe and educated. We don't just breed the Ood, we make them better. Because at heart, what is an Ood, but a reflection of us? If your Ood is happy, then you'll be happy too." she finished, and the buyers applauded. The time travellers didn't, they suspected that this was a front and the actual truth of this place was a lot harsher.
Solana got down from the podium and approached the three Ood on pedestals. "I'd now like to point out a new innovation from Ood Operations. We've introduced a variety package with the Ood translator ball. You can now have the standard setting." She turned to the first Ood. "And how are you, Ood?"
"I'm perfectly well, thank you." he answered in his calm, refined voice.
"Or perhaps, after a stressful day, a little something for the gentlemen." Solana said then, turned to the second Ood. "And how are you, Ood?"
"All the better for seeing you." the Ood answered in a sultry female voice.
"And the classic comedy option." Solana continued, turning to the third Ood, "Ood, you dropped something."
"D'oh!" the Ood said in Homer Simpson's voice, making the buyers laugh and the time travellers glower at the tasteless humour.
"All that for five additional credits." Solana finished, "The details are in your brochures. Now, there's plenty more food and drink, so don't hold back."
The buyers all went off to mingle. The Doctor made sure the coast was clear, then he and the Artist went over to a computer terminal to get some information. Donna joined them just as the Doctor brought up a map of the solar system they were in. "Ah, got it!" he said, "The Oodsphere, I've been to this solar system before, years ago, ages. Close to the Sense-sphere. Let's widen out." He typed in some commands and the map widened.
"Ah, we're in the year 4126." the Artist observed, "The time of the Second Great & Bountiful Human Empire."
"4126?" Donna gaped in awe, "It's 4126? I'm in 4126!"
"Brilliant, isn't it?" the Artist smiled.
"What's the Earth like now?" Donna asked.
"Bit full." the Doctor replied, "But you see, the Empire reaches out across three galaxies."
"It's weird. I mean, it's brilliant, but back home... the papers and the telly, they keep saying we haven't got long to live." Donna mused, "Global warming, flooding, the bees disappearing."
"Yeah, that thing about the bees is odd." the Doctor muttered.
"But look at us, we're everywhere!" Donna said brightly, "Is that good or bad, though? I mean, are we like explorers or more like a virus?"
"It depends on which way you look at it, but we tend to lean towards explorers ourselves." the Artist reassured her.
"What are the red dots?" Donna asked, noticing red spots on the map.
"Ood distribution centres." the Doctor replied.
"Across three galaxies?" Donna stared, "Don't the Ood get a say in this?" She went off to find one of the Ood
"I really like Donna." the Artist remarked to the Doctor. The ginger had Rose's sass and sense of humour, but Martha's compassion and maturity. Donna and the Time Lady were becoming best friends very quickly.
"Um, sorry but...?" Donna said to one of the Ood, "Hello. Tell me, are you all like this?"
"I do not understand, miss." the Ood replied.
"Why d'ya say 'miss'?" Donna stared, "Do I look single?"
"Not the big question right now, Donna." the Artist reminded.
"Yeah." Donna nodded, then turned back to the Ood. "What I mean is, are there any free Ood? Are there Ood running wild somewhere?"
"All Ood are born to serve." the Ood answered, "Otherwise, we would die."
"But you can't have started like that." Donna persisted, "Before the humans, what were ya like?"
"The circle." was all the Ood said in answer to that.
"What d'ya mean?" the Doctor questioned, "What circle?"
"The cir..." the Ood strained, "The circle... must..."
"The circle must be broken?" the Artist tried, remembering what Ood Delta 50 had said.
The Ood nodded, but before the trio could question him further, Solana made an announcement on the mic; "Ladies and gentlemen, all Ood to hospitality stations." The Ood shuffled obediently away. "Now, if I can introduce you." Solana continued, "He's only just flown in. We're very lucky to have him with us today, the chief executive of Ood Operations, Mr Klineman Halpen."
The buyers applauded as a balding man in a black suit approached the mike. "For over two centuries now, Ood Operations has licensed the Ood to the point where 50% of all houses across Galactic Central possess at least one Domestic Ood." he announced.
"Everyone's got an Ood." the Artist muttered, remembering overhearing Danny say that to Rose on Krop Tor.
"And it's onwards and upwards, as the Double O looks to expand into new and alien territories." Mr Halpen finished his speech.
"Can I just ask?" the Doctor cut in.
"We'll be taking questions later." Solana waved him off.
"Well, I'm asking questions now." the Doctor persisted, "Cos' our ship landed off-course, beyond the ice field, and we found an Ood. In the snow. He'd been shot."
"Uh, well..." Mr Halpen began awkwardly, "That's terrible." Though the Time Lords could tell that he didn't really care at all. "I must apologise, Mr...?"
"Doctor." the Time Lord corrected.
"Doctor. Ood pirates, I'm afraid." Mr Halpen said, though he was clearly lying, "They steal the Ood for the black market. And if a prisoner escapes... poor soul."
"But do you have any problems with the Ood?" the Artist tried, "Anything that could turn their eyes red?"
"I have no such reports." Mr Halpen replied, clearly lying again. "You two sound like members of FOTO." he remarked.
"What's FOTO?" the Doctor asked.
"Friends of the Ood, I think." the Artist told him, remembering overhearing Scooti mention that on Krop Tor.
"Oh, I like that." the Doctor smiled, glad that not everyone agreed with the Ood being servants. "Is that such a bad thing, then?" he asked Mr Halpen.
"We're all friends of the Ood here." Mr Halpen replied, then checked his watch. "Oh, unfortunately I've been called away. Uh, how sad. But, uh, nobody move. You've got first class entertainment coming up. Um, now if you'll excuse me." He walked away from the mike and approached the trio. "Well, Doctor, we'll continued this conversation another time."
"D'ya know, I think we will." the Doctor answered.
"Nice coat." Mr Halpen said to Donna.
"Nice rocket." she retorted.
"Very nice to meet you, miss." Mr Halpen said to the Artist, who just gave him a look of indifference, then he turned and left.
"I've had enough of this schmoozing." the Doctor said to the ladies, "D'ya fancy a look off the beaten track?" He produced a map that had been in the folder Solana had given him.
"Rough guide to the Oodsphere." Donna remarked, "Works for me."
"Me too." the Artist agreed, and so the trip quietly slipped out of the room.
———————————————————————————
The trio walked through the compound's grounds until they reached a chain-link fence and gate. The Doctor unlocked the gate with his sonic screwdriver and they went through just as a speaker announced; "Ood shift 8 commencing. Repeat, Ood shift 8 now commencing."
The trio climbed some stairs and found themselves overlooking a yard outside some warehouses, where Ood were being marched like prisoners under the supervision of armed guards in black uniforms. One Ood tripped and fell to his knees. One of the guards, a particularly nasty looking fellow, who appeared to be the captain, strode over to him. "Get up!" the captain demanded, hitting the Ood with a whip, "I said get up!" He continued to whip the poor Ood until he stood up.
"Servants?" Donna stared, "They're slaves!"
"The last time we met the Ood, we never asked, we never even considered." the Artist sighed guiltily. On Krop Tor, she and the Doctor had been more concerned about the black hole and the pit than the Ood. Since those Ood all died, she and the Doctor felt tremendously guilty about that now.
"That's not like you two." Donna remarked.
"We were busy." the Doctor replied regretfully, "So busy we couldn't save 'em. I had to let them die. I reckon we owe 'em one."
"Definitely." the Artist agreed, "This stops today."
"There's the boss." Donna remarked quietly, spotting Mr Halpen walking across the yard accompanied by an Ood, clearly his personal servant, and a man in a white lab coat.
"Let's keep out of his way." the Doctor replied, deciding it was best to avoid Halpen until they'd gotten more information, "Come on." He took the Artist's hand and they went back down the stairs, Donna following.
———————————————————————————
The trio walked through some alleyways until the Time Lords stopped to study the map. Suddenly, a shrill whistle sounded from behind them, and they turned to see Donna standing by the door to a warehouse. "Where'd ya learn to whistle?" the Doctor asked as they joined her.
"West Ham every Saturday." Donna replied.
"You'll have to teach me that." the Artist remarked, pulling out her sonic and using it to unlock the door. They entered to find the warehouse full of containers, while a large claw crane moved along the ceiling moving the containers into position.
"Ood export." the Doctor surmised, "D'ya see?" He pointed to the claw. "Lifts the containers, takes 'em to the rocket sheds..."
"Then they get flown out across the three galaxies." the Artist finished grimly.
"What, ya mean, these containers are full of..." Donna trailed off.
"Ood." the Time Lords said together.
The Doctor opened one of the containers, and sure enough, it was full of Ood. "Oh, it stinks!" Donna grimaced, "How many of 'em d'ya think are in each one?" she asked.
"A hundred?" the Doctor pondered.
"Thousands." the Artist shook her head sadly.
"A great big empire, built on slavery." Donna said, horrified.
"It's not so different from your time." the Doctor sneered.
"Oi, I haven't got slaves!" Donna shot back.
"Who d'ya think made ya clothes?" the Doctor said darkly, earning himself a whack on the shoulder from the Artist. What these humans were doing was appalling, but that was no excuse for taking it out on Donna.
"Is that why you travel around with a human at your side?" Donna asked him angrily, "It's not so you can show 'em the wonders of the universe, it's so you can take cheap shots!"
"Sorry." the Doctor said sheepishly, realising how uncalled for his remark was.
"Don't!" Donna scowled, then more lightly said; "Spaceman." She then turned to the Ood. "I don't understand, the door's open, why not just run away?" she asked them.
"For what reason?" an Ood asked.
"You could be free."
"I do not understand the concept." the Ood said, tilting his head in confusion.
"What is it with that Persil ball?" Donna asked the Time Lords, "I mean, they're not born with it, are they? Why'd they all have to be wired up?"
"Ood, tell us, does 'the circle' mean anything to you?" the Doctor tried.
"The circle must be broken." all the Ood said in unison.
"Woah, that is creepy." Donna shivered.
"Tell us, what is the circle?" the Artist asked, "Where can we find it?"
"The circle must be broken." the Ood repeated.
"Why?" the Doctor questioned.
"So we can sing." the Ood answered, but before the trio could get any more information, an alarm sounded.
"That's us, come on!" the Doctor urged, grabbing the Artist's hand and they ran for it, Donna hot on their heels.
The trio legged it through the maze of containers until Donna stopped suddenly. "Doctor, Artist, there's a door!" she called, but the Time Lords didn't hear her and kept on running. Before Donna could do anything else, some guards charged through the door and aimed their weapons at her.
The Time Lords continued to run for a bit, when the Artist noticed someone was missing. ""We've lost Donna!" she realised, but before either she or the Doctor could do anything, more guards approached them, so they had to leg it again.
———————————————————————————
Donna meanwhile was shoved into a container full of Ood. "Can you help me?" she asked them. They lifted their heads to reveal their eyes were red. "Oh, no you don't!" she groaned.
———————————————————————————
The Time Lords continued to run, when they suddenly heard a mechanical whirring from above them and they looked up to see the claw bearing down on them. They promptly ran faster, hoping to shake it off.
———————————————————————————
"What've I done?" Donna said, backing up towards the container door, "I'm not one of that lot. I'm on your side!"
The Ood weren't listening and began to advance on her.
"Stay where you are! That's an order! I said, stay!" She started pounding on the doors. "DOCTOR! ARTIST!"
———————————————————————————
The Time Lords continued to flee from the claw. It nearly caught them, but they managed to keep ahead of it. They sped round a corner to find their way blocked by some barrels. The Doctor managed to leap over them, but the Artist, with her shorter legs, wasn't so lucky. She tripped on the barrels, tumbled over and landed flat on her back. The Doctor rushed back to help her up, but the claw caught up. The Doctor promptly threw himself on top of her to protect her. Just before the claw was about to pulverise them, it stopped. Some guards came over and frog-marched them to the container where Donna was being held. "DOCTOR, GET ME OUTTA HERE!" Donna's voice called from inside, "ARTIST,HELP!"
"If ya don't do what she says, you're in really big trouble. Not from us, from her." the Doctor said to the guard captain.
"Unlock the container." the captain ordered, and one of his men did so.
Donna raced out of the container and hugged both Time Lords. "It's alright, Donna." the Artist said, "You're safe now."
"Never mind me, what about them?" Donna said, as the red-eyed Ood burst out of the container and started attacking the guards with their translator orbs. The trio and Solana ran for it, while the guards opened fire on the attacking Ood.
———————————————————————————
Once outside, the trio and Solana stopped for breath. "If the people back on Earth knew what was going on here..." Donna began.
"Don't be so stupid!" Solana scoffed, "Of course they know!"
"They know how you treat the Ood?" Donna glared.
"They don't ask. Same thing."
"Solana, the Ood aren't born like this." the Doctor said, "They can't be. A species born to serve couldn't evolve in the first place. What does the company do to make them obey?"
"This has nothing to do with me." Solana said hastily.
"Oh, what, because you don't ask?" the Doctor scoffed.
"That's Dr Ryder's territory." Solana conceded.
"And where do we find him?" the Artist asked, holding out the map, "Please, tell us. We can help with the red eye. We've seen it before."
"There." Solana replied, pointing to a spot on the map, "Beyond the red section."
"Come with us." the Artist encouraged, "You've seen what's inside the warehouse. Surely you know it's wrong. You can help us help you, please?"
Solana thought for a moment, then decided to stay loyal to her unscrupulous employer. "They're over here!" she yelled out, "Guards! They're over here!"
The trio were forced to leg it again. "This way!" the Artist said, checking the map.
———————————————————————————
They reached a door leading to a building that the map described as 'Ood conversion'. As they approached it, the Time Lords could hear Ood singing again. "Can ya hear it?" the Doctor said, "We didn't need the map, we shoulda listened!" He soniced the lock and they entered the building, then he and the Artist both ran their sonics over the lock on the other side.
"There we go, fused the system. Buy us some privacy for a bit." the Artist said.
"Hold on, does that mean we're locked in?" Donna asked.
"Listen, listen, listen." the Doctor urged as the singing grew more intense.
"What is it?" Donna asked.
"It's the Ood, they're singing." the Artist told her as they made their way through the building.
They reached a cage full of Ood. These Ood seemed rather timid and seemed to be trying to hide from the trio. "They look different to the others." Donna noted.
"That's because they're natural-born Ood, unprocessed, before they're adapted to slavery." the Doctor replied, "Unspoilt. That's their song."
"I can't hear it." Donna frowned.
"D'ya want to?" the Doctor asked.
"Yeah."
"It's the song of captivity." the Artist warned her friend.
"Let me hear it." Donna insisted.
"Face me." the Doctor instructed. Donna did so and the Doctor put his hands on her temples. "Open your mind, that's it." he instructed, "Hear it, Donna. Hear the music."
Donna heard the Ood's song. It was the saddest song she'd ever heard. She turned to the Ood with tears in her eyes. "Take it away." she begged the Time Lords.
"You sure?"
"I can't bear it." Donna sobbed. The Doctor repeated the process, silencing the song in her mind. "Sorry." she sighed.
"You've nothing to be sorry for." the Artist reassured her.
"But you two can still hear it." Donna said to them.
"All the time." the Doctor confirmed, then he soniced the lock on the cage just as loud thuds sounded from outside.
"They're breaking in." Donna warned.
"Ah, let 'em." the Doctor answered, and the trio entered the cage. The Ood inside shied away from them.
"It's alright." the Artist soothed them, "We won't hurt you. This is the Doctor and Donna and I'm the Artist, we're friends." One of the Ood went closer to them, clutching something in his hand.
"What're you holding?" the Doctor asked, "Let us see, that's it." The Ood opened his palm to reveal a small brain in his hand.
"Is that...?" Donna swallowed.
"It's a brain." the Doctor confirmed, "A hindbrain. Ood're born with a secondary brain. Like the amygdala in humans, it processes memory and emotion. Ya get rid of that, you wouldn't be Donna any more. You'd be like an Ood, a processed Ood."
"So the company... cuts off their brains?!" Donna said in horror.
"And stitches on the translator in it's place." the Artist finished sadly.
"Like a lobotomy." Donna swallowed, truly appalled at this, "I spent all that time looking for you two, cos' I thought it'd be so wonderful out here... I wanna go home."
Before either Time Lord could answer, the door was broken open and guards swarmed in. "They're with the Ood, sir." one of them shouted.
The Doctor promptly pulled the cage door shut as the guards reached them. "What ya gonna do, then?" he taunted, "Arrest us? Lock us up? Well, ya too late, ha!"
———————————————————————————
The guards escorted the trio to Mr Halpen's office, where they were handcuffed to wall pipes. "Why don't you just come out and say it?" Mr Halpen sneered, "FOTO activists."
"If that's what Friends of the Ood are trying to prove, yes!" the Doctor retorted.
"The Ood were nothing without us." Mr Halpen said callously, "Just animals roaming around the ice."
"That's because you can't hear them." the Artist told him.
"They welcomed it." Mr Halpen scoffed, "It's not as if they put up a fight."
"You idiot!" Donna spat angrily, livid at this cruel man, "They're born with their brains in their hands, don't ya see? That makes 'em peaceful! They've got to be, cos' a creature like that would have to trust anyone it meets."
"Well said, Donna." the Artist praised.
"Thank you."
"The system's worked for 200 years." Mr Halpen retorted, "All we've got is a rogue batch. But the infection's about to be sterilised." He then spoke into his wrist comm; "Mr Kess, how do we stand?"
"Canisters primed, sir." the guard captain's voice answered, "As soon as the core heats up, the gas is released. Give it 200 marks and counting."
"You're gonna gas them?!" the Doctor said in horror.
"Kill the livestock." Mr Halpen said callously, "The classic foot-and-mouth solution. Still works." Just then, alarms started blaring. "What the hell?" Halpen stared, and went outside with the man in the white coat, who the trio realised was Dr Ryder.
They returned moments later. "Change of plan." Mr Halpen said.
"We've no reports of trouble off-world, sir." Dr Ryder reported, "It's still contained to the Oodsphere."
"Then we've got a public duty to stop it before it spreads." Mr Halpen nodded.
"What's happening?" the Doctor asked.
"Everything you wanted, Doctor." Mr Halpen retorted, "No doubt there'll be a full police investigation once this place has been sterilised, so I can't risk a bullet to the head. I'll leave you to the mercies of the Ood." he turned to leave.
"There's something else, isn't there?" the Artist called, "Something we haven't seen."
"What d'ya mean?" Donna asked.
"A creature couldn't survive with a separate forebrain and hindbrain, they'd be at war with themselves." the Doctor explained, "There's gotta be something else, a third element. Are we right?" he asked Mr Halpen.
"And again, so clever!" Mr Halpen snorted.
"But it's gotta be connected to the red eye. What is it?"
"It won't exist for very much longer." Mr Halpen retorted, "Enjoy your Ood." He left with his personal Ood, Dr Ryder and the guards.
Once they were alone, the trio started struggling with their restraints. "Well, do something!" Donna urged, "You're the ones with all the tricks! Surely ya must've met Houdini!"
"These are really good handcuffs." the Doctor countered.
"Oh, I'm glad of that." Donna huffed "At least we've got quality!"
"We've got company." the Artist warned as the door opened and red-eyed Ood stormed in.
"Doctor, Donna, Artist, friends!" the Doctor tried as the Ood started to advance on them.
"The circle must be broken." Donna tried.
"So the Ood can sing." the Artist added. They repeated this as the Ood continued to advance on them, seemingly not listening. The Ood raised their translator balls ready for the kill when suddenly they stopped and lowered their heads.
When they raised them, their eyes were back to normal. "Doctor, Donna, Artist, friends." one said.
"Yes, that's us!" Donna panted in relief.
"Friends." the Artist added.
"Oh, yes!" the Doctor finished.
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The Ood soon released the trio and they went outside to find the compound a warzone, with guards attacking the Ood, who were fighting back.
The trio ran through the compound, dodging the fighting until they stopped to get their bearings. "I dunno where it is." the Doctor sighed, "I dunno where they've gone!"
"What we looking for?" Donna asked.
"Where Halpen's gone." the Artist replied, "Must be in a cave or..." She was cut off by an explosion from behind them, throwing them to the ground.
"Alright?" the Doctor asked his fiancé.
"Yeah." the Artist nodded, "You okay, Donna?" The human nodded.
The trio stood up to find Mr Halpen's personal Ood standing before them. He motioned for them to follow him and they did so.
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The Ood led the trio to a warehouse. The Doctor soniced the door open and they entered to find themselves on a walkway. Below them was a giant brain held within an energy field. "The Ood brain." the Doctor realised, "Now it all makes sense, that's the missing link. The third element, binding 'em all together. Forebrain, hindbrain, and this. The telepathic centre. It's a shared mind, connecting all the Ood in song."
Just then, they heard a gun clicking and they turned to see Mr Halpen aiming a pistol at them. "Cargo." he said, "I can always go into cargo. I've got the rockets, I've got the shed. Smaller business, much more manageable without the livestock."
"He's mined the area." Dr Ryder warned, coming out from behind Mr Halpen.
"They're gonna kill it?" Donna stared.
"They found that... thing centuries ago beneath the northern glacier." Mr Halpen explained.
"Those pylons." the Doctor remarked, noting the pattern the pylons emitting the energy field were in.
"In a circle." Donna observed, "'The circle must be broken'."
"It's a mental dampener." the Artist realised, remembering her own recent experience with one, "Blocking the Ood's telepathic field and stopping them from connecting for 200 years."
Mr Halpen turned to his Ood. "And you, Ood Sigma, you brought them here. I expected better."
"My place is at your side, sir." Ood Sigma replied, moving to his side.
"Still subservient." Mr Halpen smirked, "Goo Oo..." He tailed off, suddenly unable to finish his sentence.
"If that barrier thing's in place, how come the Ood started breaking out?" Donna questioned.
"Maybe it's taken centuries to adapt." the Doctor mused, "The subconscious reaching out."
"But the process was too slow." Dr Ryder spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to him, "It had to be accelerated." He turned to Mr Halpen. "You should never have given me access to those controls, Mr Halpen. I lowered the barrier to it's minimum. Friends of the Ood, sir. It's taken me 10 years to infiltrate the company. And I succeeded."
"Yes. Yes, you did." Mr Halpen smiled cruelly and promptly grabbed Ryder, then threw him off the walkway. The trio tried to grab him, but it was too late and Dr Ryder fell to his death.
"You...murdered him." Donna gasped.
"Very observant, ginger." Mr Halpen sneered, aiming his pistol at the Doctor, "Can't say I've ever shot anyone before. Can't say I'm gonna like it. But, uh, it's not exactly a normal day, is it? Still..."
Ood Sigma suddenly stepped in front of the Doctor. "Would you like a drink, sir?" he asked, holding a glass in his hand.
"I think hair loss is the least of my worries now, thanks." Mr Halpen snorted.
"Please have a drink, sir."
"If... if you're gonna stand in their way, I'll shoot you, too." Mr Halpen said, though his speech was becoming slurred.
"Please have a drink, sir."
Mr Halpen's eyes widened. "Have... Have you... poisoned me?" he gasped out.
"Natural Ood must never kill, sir." Ood Sigma replied in his calm way.
"What is that stuff?" the Doctor asked, eyeing the glass.
"Ood-graft suspended in a biological compound, sir." Ood Sigma replied.
"What the hell does that mean?" Mr Halpen whimpered, dropping his gun.
"Oh, dear..." the Doctor said simply.
"Tell me!"
"Funny thing, the subconscious." the Doctor remarked casually, "Takes all sorts of shapes. Came out in the red-eye as revenge, came out in the rabid Ood as anger. And then there was patience. All that intelligence and mercy, focused on Ood Sigma. How's that hair loss, Mr Halpen?"
Mr Halpen reached out and pulled out some hairs from his head. "What have you done?" he demanded to Ood Sigma.
"Oh, they've been preparing you for a very long time." the Doctor told him, "And now you're standing next to the Ood brain. Mr Halpen, can you hear it? Listen."
Sure enough, Mr Halpen could hear the Ood song in his head. "What have you..." he choked, "I'm not..." He bowed his head.
"Ya might wanna look away." the Artist warned Donna, "This isn't gonna be pretty."
But Donna didn't look away, and the trio watched as Mr Halpen gripped his head, then he literally peeled his skin away like a banana to reveal an Ood's head underneath, then he gagged and tentacles dropped out of his mouth.
"They... They turned him into an Ood?!" Donna squirmed.
"Yep." the Doctor nodded.
"He's an Ood."
"Evidently." the Artist remarked, a little green from seeing that. Mr Halpen deserved it, but it wasn't exactly a pleasant thing to witness.
Ood Halpen coughed up his hindbrain and stood up straight, fully transformed. "He has become Ood-kind." Ood Sigma told the trio, "We will take care of him."
"It's weird being with you two." Donna remarked to the Time Lords, "I can't tell what's right and what's wrong anymore."
"To be honest, it's better that way sometimes." the Artist replied, "People who know for sure tend to be like Mr Halpen."
Just then, a beeping sounded, clearly Mr Halpen's mines. "Oh." the Doctor realised and quickly switched them off. "That's better." Then he and the Artist moved to the dampening field controls. "And now, Ood Sigma... if you'd allow us the honour."
"It is yours, Doctor." Ood Sigma replied, and the Time Lords began operating the controls, switching off the field.
"Oh, yes!" the Doctor cheered, "Stifled for over 200 years, but not any more. The circle is broken. The Ood can sing!"
A new Ood song filled the air, this one joyful. The Time Lords laughed and hugged each other other, while Donna looked delighted. "I can hear it!" she grinned as Ood Sigma lifted his arms, lifting the song to the whole universe.
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A little later, the trio were standing in front of the TARDIS, accompanied by several Ood including Ood Sigma. "The message has gone out." the Doctor told them, "That song resonated across three galaxies. Everyone heard it. Everyone knows. The rockets are bringing them back. The Ood are coming home."
"We thank you, Doctor-Donna-Artist." Ood Sigma said, "Friends of Oodkind. And what of you now? Will you stay? There is room in the song for you."
"Oh, Artist and I sorta have songs of our own, thanks." the Doctor replied, slipping an arm around the Time Lady.
"I think your songs must end soon." Ood Sigma stated.
"What's that mean?" the Artist frowned.
"Every song must end." Ood Sigma answered simply.
"Yeah." the Doctor said slowly, somewhat unnerved by that.
Deciding to change the subject, the Artist turned to Donna. "And what about you? Do you still wanna go home?" she asked.
"No. Definitely not." Donna replied.
"Then we'll be off." the Doctor told the Ood.
"Take this song with you." Ood Sigma called as the Ood raised their hands and started singing.
"We will." Donna called back.
"Always." the Doctor added.
"Across all time and space." the Artist finished.
"And know this, Doctor-Donna-Artist, you will never be forgotten." Ood Sigma said, "Our children will sing of the Doctor-Donna-Artist, and our children's children. And the wind and the ice and the snow will carry your names forever."
The Ood continued to sing as the trio entered the TARDIS and the box dematerialised, the trio resuming their travels through time and space.