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Dance of the Moonflies
by The Rani
Rated PG
The Doctor, Tegan, and Turlough on a new planet.

Tegan looked out on the most alien landscape she’d ever seen. "What did you call this place again, Doctor?"

The Doctor let out a small pfff of air before replying. "The planet Vortis. "The last few times I visited I was on the northern continent. This is the southern continent; it’s a most remarkable habitat."

"Indeed," Turlough said appreciatively. "A most unique and refreshing change to our recent adventures."

"I was hoping we’d meet the Menoptera. They’re a most pleasant people, once they get to know you. This time of year though the women are laying their eggs in their nests while the men bring them offerings of sweet honey and nectar."

"I like the sound of someone doing something for me, for a change." Tegan joked aloud. "So if those Menoptera aren’t here, is there anything else we can see?"

The Doctor shrugged. "As I said I haven’t been here before. I imagine it will be basically the same environment but there will be different species, perhaps the Venom Grubs will have green stripes instead of purple?"

They walked off and Tegan wondered if heels were really such a great idea, given the soft icky surface of the planet. She really, really, really hoped it was mud.

#####

The Cutter moved through the fungal grass towards the hot prey. Its heat pits picked up the strong temperatures of food. They were they reddest food it had ever sensed, much hotter than the pale yellow of its normal food. This food must be new, this was dangerous. The prey could be a lure to a trap, the Cutter was used to being the top predator in its eco system but there was always the possibility that there was a bigger bug that could feed on it. On six green legs it scuttled around the edges of the clearing ready to pounce if it seemed the prey really was food.

#######

Tegan yelped when a huge bug burst out of the undergrowth and pounced on top of her. She struggled to get free but the thing was too big and too heavy. "Get off of me!" she shouted and tried kicking it as hard as she could.

"Stop kicking me!" Turlough shouted at Tegan. "I’m trying to help."

"Try to distract it." The Doctor waved his arms about. "It looks like some sort of cross between a cricket and a mantis. I’ve got an ultrasonic whistle in one of my pockets."

Turlough felt no pain as a serrated limb sliced through his jacket, shirt and skin, into muscle. He only felt the wet warmth of blood and then burning warmth. Then the pain came, like a poor thief it just got caught moments after the act. "My arm!"

"You’ll live," the Doctor said to his companion after inspecting the wound very quickly. "Help me get this thing off of Tegan."

"Some bedside manner," Turlough said under his breath. "I think Matron was nicer."

The Doctor paused for a second, then continued trying to free Tegan.

"Get this thing off of me!" Tegan managed to push up with one of her legs, the other was pinned under the crushing weight of the bug’s leg at the ankle. The Doctor and Turlough worked together and with Tegan’s added strength the moved the bug up and over onto its back. It writhed about for a few helpless seconds. Tegan was unceremoniously pulled to her feet and they all but carried her away, her foot hurting anytime the slightest weight was put on it. She looked back in time to see the bug right itself and run into the undergrowth. "Good riddance to bad bugs."

....

It was a special night. Merkrit waited expectantly for Raklieck to arrive. Tonight was the culmination of their three-night mating ritual. Her parents had been very supportive of her taking Raklieck as her mate. Her mother had advised her on which condiments to use is she chose to devour him after the mating. She didn’t think she would, after all her father was still alive, although he’d willingly offered his own severed limbs as a meal after her younger clutch of sisters and brothers had been hatched. She was the 103rd child of a clutch of 304 and so didn’t merit the same sort of affection that the top fifty offspring got, but she was used to making do. Raklieck had brought her strong materials for her to build the egg chamber of their hive with. She was swollen with unfertilised eggs and couldn’t wait much longer for her beloved to arrive.

#######

Tegan was still smarting as they walked back to the TARDIS. "It could have killed me, you know."

"Yes, Tegan," the Doctor replied. "It could have, but it didn’t. We must be thankful we’ve only got some cuts and bruises. Turlough’s much worse off than either of us."

"You call that a wound?" Tegan pointed at Turlough’s arm. "It’s just a scratch."

"I’m touched by your concern," Turlough replied. "It’s burning, I’m not going to get an infection, am I?"

The Doctor pulled Turlough’s tongue out and examined it. "No, I don’t think so. It’s just a reaction to the nature of the cut I expect. Serrated cuts are the hardest to heal. Don’t worry though, I’ve got something in the TARDIS that will knit muscle and skin together in no time."

##########

Merkrit was glad when Raklieck finally arrived. Although he seemed flustered and ill at ease. "What is it, my love? Your carapace is dirty and you seem anxious."

"Aliens!" Raklieck said to his mate. "Alien invaders!"

"Mate with me and then inform the militia," Merkrit said quickly. "My eggs need your seed now or it will be too late."

"There’s no time for that now," Raklieck said sharply. "They’ve come to kill us all. They defeated me, the prime male of my clan. I am the best warrior we have and they defeated me."

"Well, you’re the strongest male, but you’re hardly the best warrior we have," Merkrit replied. "Leave it to the soldier-maidens. They’re bred solely to defend us. Their thicker shells and sharper claws will tear the invaders to pieces."

###

"Where’s the TARDIS?" Tegan asked the Doctor. "It was here. I can see the mark it’s made in the ground. Someone’s stolen the TARDIS, Doctor. What are we going to do?"

Turlough rubbed his hands together as they paced around the immediate area, looking for the TARDIS. "I wish I’d worn a coat now."

"The temperature’s falling as it’s getting darker. Vortis only has a very small sun but it won’t get too cold. Due to recent volcanic activity a lot of gases were expelled, so we don’t need atmosphere density jackets."

"What’s that?" Tegan asked.

"Sort of like a cross between an anorak and a pressure suit. It maintains pressure around the ribcage, just enough to allow the wearer to breathe normally in a rarefied atmosphere."

"Sounds à la mode," Tegan muttered.

The Doctor pulled a face to indicate otherwise. "We should continue looking for the TARDIS."

Turlough spotted what looked like tracks. "I think they went this way. Maybe we should wait until it’s light before we continue?"

"It’s best if we get that arm looked at as soon as we can."

"Scared?" Tegan asked Turlough.

"Not at all," Turlough lied.

"This way, I think." The Doctor set off at a slight angle to the tracks. "That rock outcrop up ahead would block their path if they walked in a straight line. We can save vital minutes if we cut them off."

"What if it’s not safe?" Tegan asked. "They went this way for a good reason, they’re obviously locals, so they must know if there’s quicksand or something like that about."

"I’ve never heard of quicksand on Vortis; however, there are large pools of acid, perhaps there’s a lake nearby?"

"This just gets better and better," Tegan proclaimed loudly. "Well, we’d better get going, hadn’t we?"

"Brave heart, Tegan." The Doctor put his hand briefly on his companion’s shoulder.

######

The hive was prepared; the nest chamber was ready to receive its very first deposit of eggs. Merkrit felt a pleasant pain as the first ball of eggs pushed its way out of her body. She used her hind most legs to lovingly place it into position, just in time as the next ball of eggs arrived moments later. In all she laid a dozen balls of eggs, a good size for a first clutch. There must be over two hundred eggs, but only half would be expected to hatch and even then half that again survive as the young fought and killed each other for their first meal. The strongest would survive, though; grow out of their larval stage to be healthy children. She’d spend much of their early life feeding them, bringing them nutritious leaves and plants until they were strong enough to feed themselves. Then she’d show them how to forage for foods.

Some of the females, she’d feed a special protein to turn them into sterile soldiers. Most would be workers and one would receive royal jelly and become her chosen daughter, alone of her clutch capable of reproducing. The males would leave the nest before then, going out into the wild to fight and grow and become big strong adult males that would wander into other colonies and find mates there. It was a good system; it ensured that the strongest traits were passed on, that the species was strong and powerful. Casually she bit into the head of her mate and ate his brain. It was the best meal she’d ever had and she was glad to have known Raklieck and loved him. He was a good mate, and his legacy would live on in their young.