taxonomites | 1 [Holo] I know exactly where I am, it's everywhere else that's lost

No sooner had the TARDIS come to a stop than the Doctor was throwing open the doors and dashing outside with a cheerful shout of "Come along, Ponds!", eager to see where they’d arrived this time. That was one of the fun things about connecting up the old randomiser every so often. Enter a few basic guidelines to avoid places that might end up with them all collapsing from something unfortunately terminal the moment the stepped outside or into the middle of a war zone (he’d been shot exiting the TARDIS once before, thank you very much, and had no desire to repeat the experience), then let the TARDIS do the rest. Guaranteed mystery the moment they opened the doors.

It was a little unfortunate then that it looked like 'mystery' in this case was...

"A white room with a sort of... thing on a pedestal. Not really what I'd call exciting but maybe there's something more out there. Like a ship or a space station or a..."

He trailed off, alerted by the silence even before he turned around to find no sign of the TARDIS or his companions. Just himself on a raised platform in an empty room in a place he wasn't familiar with. There was also something strange hanging overhead, and the Doctor frowned at it, his mind racing to fill in the blanks in what he knew.

"Some sort of teleporter maybe... I’ve been kidnapped?" The idea wasn't impossible, he knew for certain, since it had happened a few times before. But it had been a while since anyone had tried. "I suppose whoever’s behind this must be feeling pretty satisfied with themselves right now?"

His wrist felt odd, he realised. Well, he’d realised it earlier, in a vague sort of way, but it was only now that it persisted in feeling odd that he scratched at it and found what seemed to be a metal bracelet fused to his skin. "Did you go and tag me?" he asked the room incredulously. "Who goes around fusing jewellery onto people? ‘Oh, I know, he’d look so much better with a silver bracelet grafted to his skin’?"

The room remained silent, so obviously whoever had brought him here didn't feel like turning up to do the gloating bit. Which left him with the thing on the pedestal, the thing in the ceiling, and a door that proved to be locked when he tried opening it.

"If that's how you want to play it," he muttered, his hand delving into his pocket to produce his sonic screwdriver. It warbled reassuringly as he waved it in quick, apparently random patterns over the walls and door, but quickly escalated to a high-pitched shriek not unlike something in pain the moment he ventured too close to that thing hanging from the ceiling. Whatever it was didn’t want to be scanned in a hurry.

"Let's see what we've got then," the Doctor commented, extending the end of the sonic screwdriver with a practised flick of his wrist. Unfortunately, the answer turned out to be ‘not much of anything’, which really only left the device sitting on the pedestal. Snapping the sonic closed again and returning it to his pocket, the Time Lord wandered over to it curiously, taking his time looking it over before reaching out and picking it up. Whatever it was, it was active and had been recording and uploading information to somewhere the entire time.

"Hello," the Doctor said, shifting his hands on the tablet to get a better look at it. "Been having a good look at me, have you? Let’s see... text, holo seems to be active... visual, voice... Oh, maps! Yes, let’s start with that then. Always a handy thing to have, a map." His finger hovered over the icon for a moment as he paused in thought, his brow furrowing. "Not that I normally use them. But I’ve heard they’re handy if you get lost easily and don’t like the fun of finding your way back on your own. Personally I always think that’s the best bit, seeing where getting lost takes you, but I suppose some people might—Oh?"

Cutting himself off suddenly, the Doctor’s eyebrows shot up as the map loaded, revealing this to be a decent sized city apparently named Taxon. But the really interesting and surprising part was how the map displayed people’s names next to some of the glowing dots on the map. Or, more accurately, the surprising part was what some of those names were. "Martha Jones? Charlotte Pollard? Fitz Kreiner? That’s... No. It can’t be. It’s just not possible..."

For a moment there was the barest flicker of uncertainty in his face, before it was quickly hidden again and the Doctor addressed whatever unseen audience he had. "I think I need some answers."

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Despite the circumstances, Martha laughed and returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. His face had changed and she'd obviously missed a lot, but some things didn't change. She appreciated the constants more than she'd expected.

"It really is good to see you," she said, when he'd finally realised her. He looked younger this time. Apart from around the eyes. He looked healthy, too, which was a relief.

And his outfit was typically eccentric.

"... is that a bow tie?"

"Yeah, it's a bow tie!" the Doctor answered, his hand going up to adjust it protectively. "What's wrong with bow ties? Bow ties are cool."

Was everyone going to pick on his clothing choices? Honestly, compared to some of the outfits he'd worn when he was younger, this was definitely an improvement.

"Bow ties are definitely ... interesting," she said. It seemed like a reasonable word to settle on. "And are you getting younger?"

She paused.

"God, I sound like my mum. How are you, Doctor? Really?"

"Yes, bit younger," he answered defensively. "What's wrong with looking younger? I'm 907, I'm old enough to look like what I want. Which includes younger and a bow tie. I'm thinking of getting a hat as well, actually. It's been a long time since I wore a hat."

Letting go of the bow tie now that the comments on his clothing were hopefully done with, the Doctor smiled at Martha, still pleased to see her here and looking well.

"Oh you know, haven't slowed down much," he answered breezily. "Still travelling, seeing the universe with the TARDIS. Some things don't change much."

"There's nothing wrong with it," she laughed, amused by his defensive tone. She was so relieved to see him that she was happy to savour the moment and brush more serious matters to the side. "It's just a bit weird. I didn't expect it. What sort of hat? What about a top hat? You'd look good in a top hat. Very formal."

She smiled, a little more softly, at that.

"I didn't think it would. You're not on your own, are you?"

Martha didn't ask the question because she was jealous, but because she knew that the Doctor needed someone.

"Good weird, I hope," he answered, pleased with that. Weird, he'd decided not long after his regeneration, was good in this body. He was old enough that he shouldn't have to act normal if he didn't want to.

And as for hats... the Doctor laughed, tucking his hands into his pockets. "Had a top hat not long before I came here," he said. "Not bad, but I was thinking something like a fez... I look good in a fez. Fezzes are cool."

He shook his head at Martha's other, unsurprising, question, dropping his gaze to his shoes and rocking on his heels as he spoke. "No. Not alone. Well, not alone before I was suddenly here, that is. You know how it is, I end up talking to myself and it gets a bit... unhealthy. Travelling with a lovely couple now, you'd like them."

"Good weird," she assured. There was always something strange about the Doctor. He was so alien at times, but that was part of his charm. It was certainly the reason she'd been drawn to him.

At that, Martha smiled softly. He looked unnecessarily nervous. She wasn't jealous. She was pleased for him.

"Mickey and I used to wonder if you'd bring anyone with you when you came to the wedding."

"The wedding..." The Doctor's eyes lost their focus as he stared at something unseen, a sadder look passing across his face briefly and gone a moment later. Then he was smiling down at Martha as though nothing had happened.

"Maybe I will," he said. "I don't mind weddings. Other people's weddings; not much good at my own. But other people's are good... I quite like the dancing."

"You'll have to get me out of here first," said Martha archly. "I was kidnapped before I got the chance to walk up the aisle."

Although she pretended that it didn't bother her, the long imprisonment - and the fact that the future she couldn't wait to live was slipping away - was wearing her down.

"Alright," he answered with a laugh. "I'm working on it! Only got here today, it'll take me at least a few hours to get us all out again."

Joking aside, he wasn't sure it would be quite as simple as that, unfortunately. If he really had been here before, and had been here for a while, then he doubted he'd find it much easier to leave now.

Which meant getting something of a plan on how to deal with certain other, pressing matters.

"What about you?" he asked after a moment. "If the Master's here, he's not going to be happy with you."

Martha smiled at that, although, like the Doctor, she knew that escape from Taxon would be far from simple. He'd achieve it - she had complete faith in him - but it would take a while.

"I'm all right," she said, "I'm not staying in one place. My friends - Wesley and Fred - are working on a way to keep my location hidden."

She was more concerned about the Master targeting her loved ones, as he'd done in the past, but that hadn't stopped her from taking a few precautions.

"He'll be more interested in you now you're here."

"Yes," he agreed. The Master had a bit of a one-track mind in that respect, but unfortunately he could be rather creative about how he went about getting back at the Doctor.

"But you know that he's just as likely to target you as he is me for that reason. And anyone else he thinks I care about." He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'll do what I can to stop anything from happening, I promise, but you'll have to be careful."

"I know you will." Just like he'd done before. But trying wasn't the same as succeeding. Martha knew that, when it came to the Master, the Doctor didn't - couldn't - always win.

"Fitz and Charlie," she said, decisively. "We'll have to make sure he doesn't find them."

"Yes, and anyone else that he might want to go after here," he agreed immediately. "They might be a bit luckier since he doesn't know what they look like, not like you, but that might not last long."

The Master was good at finding out information, after all. Charismatic enough to get people to talk to him when they weren't aware of who and what he was, not to mention a powerful hypnotist and, like the Doctor himself, mildly telepathic. Just more willing to use those skills for his own ends regardless of those he hurt.

The Doctor stopped, realising something else in Martha's words. "Oh, so you've met Fitz and Charley?"

It went without saying that she'd take the Master threatening her over the Master threatening her loved ones any day.

She nodded, smiling again.

"I don't know Charlie well," she said, which was, as far as she concerned, a terrible pity, "But we've spoken a few times. And Fitz is brilliant. He's been a good friend." She paused. "I've not managed to get him to quit smoking yet."

1 [Holo] I know exactly where I am, it's everywhere else that's lost

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