Bad Wolf From Space

48. For the Love of a Man

We were on the planet Crex. The market on its surface was one that seemed to stretch from one horizon to the next.

The skyline was full of brightly coloured awnings over market stalls.

Here and there you could find market stalls full of Crex's exotic fruits that helped guest's stay cool in the recent heat of the planet.

I was looking through an interesting trinket store that had a miscellaneous inventory of items from across the galaxies. My sister whispered the names corresponding to each item, telling me the stories behind their songs.

I went to check out having found a pretty crystal bracelet I thought my mum would like and an electronic spanner device that I thought Mickey would like to fiddle with before using it on his own electronics.

I offered my trade of Earth trinkets of equal value. Equal value was told by the amount of interest a seller had for the prospect trade items and the guarantee that the items were the same category as the things wanted.

Example of this was when I had a bottle cap opener in the shape of a skeleton key from a theme park I'd been to, since it was a tool it qualified for the trade. My other item was a tribal necklace I'd received in my Earth travels, which was the perfect trade for the bracelet, both being jewellery.

The shopkeeper seemed thrilled by my trade.

I tried not to falter as the alien woman took a lungful of air as if breathing me in.

"You smell delicious."

I quickly took my items and hurried across the shopping centre to where the Doctor stood.

"I have a bad feeling. We need to leave."

"Ah we just got here."

"Listen to me Doctor..." I metered off as I saw an eerie grin on the same shopkeeper's face standing several paces back from us. She was joined by another alien who whispered to her before sniffing the air.

A Mind Palace door vibrated in my mind and I looked behind it.

"Oh sh..."

'Language,' my sister spoke in my mind.

I pulled the Doctor from the market stall and started to walk a brisk pace toward Martha who was closer to the TARDIS.

"Don't turn, just run to the TARDIS." I whisper shouted at her back.

I glanced behind to see the aliens pulling out blasters, took the Doctor's hand and began to run.

We ran toward the TARDIS ducking when we heard the sound of the blaster.

"Sexy!"

Her doors flew open as we ran through them, ducking as another blast discharged above our heads.

"What are they, Rose?"

"They call themselves the Family, they take hosts living off their life energy before going to the next. They are telepathic, their main form is green and gaseous. They can sniff out their prey. Similar to the Aubertides in culture you've faced before."

The Doctor's eyes widened before turning toward Martha, "Did they see you?"

"I don't know."

"If anything they saw her back they seemed more focused on us two."

The Doctor ran to the console, "Off we go."

We entered the vortex and an alert sounded, the Doctor shouted. "They are following us!"

"How?" Martha looked at the Doctor who was in a flurry of activity.

"They must have a vortex manipulator which means..."