taxonomites | 007: After the End of the War [Visual]

The people of Taxon had spent the last month putting their lives back together.

The hamsters had taken care of the physical damage - they'd even resurrected the human casualties - but there were a lot of things that they hadn't dealt with. Maybe it hadn't even occurred to them that they needed to deal with it. They evidently cared about the well being of their prisoners - they supplied them with everything they needed, more or less - they didn't seem to understand how humans worked. They didn't even understand why the prisoners were so hostile towards them.

Martha was sitting at the desk in her office when she switched on her tablet and, although she wasn't wearing her white coat, there was something about her demeanor - not to mention the immaculate surgery behind her - that made it clear that she was a doctor.

"Has anyone had any luck with that radio transmission?" she asked, with the brisk and business like manner of a UNIT employee. "Or heard anything else?"

She wasn't expecting much, of course, but she had to ask.

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"I suppose that is the best any of us can do, that and keep trying," Long murmured.

He paused, weighing the dictates of courtesy versus his innate unwillingness to acknowledge to anybody the nature of his transformation. Well, likely she would just consider it a glitch-- which it had been-- but the other way around-- likely the doctor, or anyone, would reasonably assume that this body was his natural one, and the dragon merely the hamsters' odd sense of humour.

It was a reasonable assumption, but it rankled his vanity immensely.

"I feel that I owe you an additional thanks," he said with a slight, sheepish throat clearing. "And perhaps a more proper introduction. The, ah, the last time you saw me I was rather... reptilian."

Courtesy won out.

Although Martha's eyes widened slightly at that comment, she covered up her surprise admirably. It wasn't his fault and it wasn't the strangest thing that she'd encountered during her rather unusual medical career.

"It's good to see you back to your old self," she said, without realising that it was actually the opposite. "How are you feeling?"

"...as well as can be expected," Long hedged with a shrug.

"The transmission is providing a pleasant distraction. Languages are a hobby of mine, you see, so... very interesting."

It was a reasonable answer and told Martha everything that she needed to know. He was coping. Better than nothing, but not quite good enough.

"I'm used to having some sort of translator." Either in the form of the TARDIS translation circuits or the form of a UNIT. "I only speak a few words in languages other than English."

She'd picked up most of them during her walk across the Earth.

"I'm used to being a translator," Long chuckled.

"But no matter. Taxon is a learning experience for all of us. I shall be sure to share if I learn anything of the language."

"What languages do you speak?" she asked, curiously. "Are they Earth based?"

She knew from personal experience that his humanoid appearance didn't necessarily mean anything. The Doctor had appeared human at first glance. So did Jack and he was an immortal time traveller from the 51st century.

"All Earth-based, yes," Long nods, evading the exact question of how many. He's lost count.

"But a lovely young lady named Jenny is teaching me Galactic Base, and Lieutenant Torres is teaching me Klingon, so I certainly hope to be able to boast more than that soon." This is said in tones of simple delight.

The smile that crossed Martha's face at the mention of Jenny's name made her affection for the young Time Lady obvious. She'd been there for her 'birth' and she'd been unable to save her when she'd been shot. Finding her again, alive and well and alive, had been amazing. Astounding. Brilliant, as the Doctor would say.

"Jenny, really? Is she a good teacher?"

Long smiled in turn, considering the question.

"Let us say she is-- enthusiastic," he said with a warm chuckle.

"Jenny is enthusiastic about most things," laughed Martha, "She's a lot like her Dad that way."

The family resemblance was uncanny, even if the Doctor hadn't wanted to see it at first.

"Ah, I can't say I've had the pleasure of meeting her father. But if they are anything like each other, I am sure he possesses also that enviable wonder at the universe."

"He does," she confirmed. It wasn't necessarily a physical resemblance. It was in the way they moved and acted. Their determination and their intelligence and their wide eyed excitement and the way that they saw things that other people often missed. "He's seen so much of it that you'd think he should have stopped being amazed by it a long time ago, but there's always something new to explore for the Doctor."

And someone new to explore it with him. Someone to remind him of just how beautiful and wonderful it actually was out there.

"He sounds like quite the interesting individual," Long said politely, since he didn't know the fellow.

"I suppose I should be getting back to my translation attempts..."

Martha nodded. He was also a difficult person to describe. No words would do him - and everything that he'd done for the universe - justice, so she didn't attempt to say any more.

"Of course. I wouldn't want to interrupt that."

007: After the End of the War [Visual]

[Visual]

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