Nothing is Inexplicable, Only unexplained - Donna, Pande, Open

Sighing Alan Mace ran his fingers through his short tufts of hair and yawned as he was led through the doors of the UK branch of UNIT. Ever since being assigned to the Canadian branch Alan had dealt with much less of the 'alien invasion' that America and the UK seemed to popular for. However, every time there was even a HINT of such a thing he was yanked from his comfortable home and job in Canada - from his pregnant wife Marion - and shoved right into an 'observers' seat. He and half of the other staff at UNIT were always on call no matter where they were... it was to be expected, of course, that since UNIT was originally created by UK officials. Anything that happened over there overrode any standing orders... which seemed left-sided as far as Mace was concerned.

Ever since Marion had kissed him he and she had been inseparable... and every time TORCHWOOD or UNIT found something the least bit pin-prickly she ended up on ONE side of the world and he on the other. She was on the royal engineers staff - he'd been in charge of operation blue sky and (as far as the government was considered) the best thing since Lethbridge Stewart himself. Now that she was pregnant - six and a half months at that - he was rather glad that she'd been forced to stay behind. If this was another 456 or Sontaran deal then who knew what was going to happen. Suddenly Mace was being faced by a wall of UNIT soldiers and three or four TORCHWOOD operatives, "Colonel Alan Mace - Canadian branch repre-" the TORCHWOOD woman rolled her eyes, "Yes, we know who you are. Come this way,"

"Bitch," Mace thought to himself as he fell into step behind her. Watching the soldiers fan around this woman Mace couldn't help but think back to the day he'd met the Doctor... any minute those doors would part and... he raised an eyebrow. A dead faceless man would be lying on the table. The mans stomach had been completely carved open - totally empty... and yet... the more Mace sniffed the air the less it smelt like human death... the blood was almost a sweet smell. It was odd, "Excuse me but-" walking over to the man the TORCHWOOD 'bitch' tapped his forehead three times... and with a 'shlurp' sound the human 'skin' dropped away to reveal something right out of the X-Files or old Sci-Fi fifties movies.

"My god..." Mace said as he looked at the small gray aliens bug-like eyes (or what remained of them) and put his hand on the table, "Its a gray..." the woman looked at him like he was toe-jam, "Just how many of those old sci-fi movies have you seen Colonel?" the colonel glared at her, "The name applies doesn't it?" the woman rolled her eyes, "They are actually called the Triskele. Galactic wanderers - they last visited this planet during the launching of the R101," the Colonel sighed, "And I've been called away from my wife... because?"

Wriggling her finger at him the TORCHWOOD woman led him over to another corpse. This one - it appeared - a stripper. She had on a G-String but that was about the only piece of clothing left intact... her breasts had been completely shredded along with her stomach and face... but her eyes were wide open... and black, "A woman in the room next door was witness to an armored attacker - it appears this stripper was stalking that woman but then the stalker became the stalked when the armored attacker jumped them both. Threw the woman against the wall and gutted the stripper," looking into her eyes Mace shuddered, "A Lupine Waveform - I've read the file on these things... is she still alive?"

The woman seemed annoyed he'd known what this creature was but sighed before answering, "The waveform is alive - barely - but the host is dead. The waveform will die soon... we're hoping to get through to it before the waveform gives up and phases out of the host," sighing Mace looked at her, "What about the woman?" the TORCHWOOD representative shrugged, "She's in the next room over... we're already... talking with her," leading him through the door Mace raised an eyebrow as he saw the two UNIT guards standing outside the door, "She's a prisoner?"

The woman looked irritated, We're simply-" Mace clenched his fist, "Whose operation is this?" she sighed, "UNIT's of course but-" Mace nodded, "Thank you," motioning the soldiers out of the way Mace walked through the door... to see a slender red-haired woman shouting at the top of her lungs at the two quivering 'conversationalists' sitting across from her, "Hello," he said. It struck him, for a moment, that she looked vaguely familiar... something made him want to salute her but he pushed that thought out of his head as he continued, "I'm sorry for the way you've been treated Ma'am, if you'll come with me I'll be glad to see that you get something to eat and then we can talk,"

He offered her his hand, "My name is Colonel Alan Mace," he said, "I'm sorry, again, for the... brash nature of these men. As you may know, though, the circumstances of this slaying puts you in a bit of a... difficult situation,"

At first, Donna was shaking like a leaf. She did not remember anything this exciting happening to her before. Was that really the right word, though? Exciting? Being stalked by a hooker and then having the hooker be killed right in front of her!? She had no pulse, she was dead. Donna worked at a hospital, she was trained in first aid and CPR. But this just smelled different. Something about it was off completely. When she called emergency services some blokes - who were not regular cops - showed up. She demanded her rights be seen to, that she have a lawyer, but to no avail. Instead, she was trapped here, in a little room with two little idiots trying to question her. "Oi, you," she growled, tossing her red hair back and fourth, "I told you I don't know who she is or what she was following me for! All's I know s'that she was killed, yeah? Right in front of me. I tried to help her - explained that. She's dead, alright? I'll sign a statement or whatever and let me go back to work! My boss expected me there like two hours ago now!" Donna's patience was wearing thin with this people. A few times she had arisen from the seat, just to be glared at until she sat back down. What was this, some sort of trial? She had just tried to help save a woman who had stalked her for who knew how long!? Not to mention that she was still covered in the woman's blood - up her arms, anyway. She resisted putting her hands on her hips in defiance.

Just before she was about to get up again, someone else came in the room. "Well, it's about time I see someone with brains!" Donna waved a bloody hand at him, bitter that she was stuck in here with these idiots. "Oi, what 'circumstances'?" She asked, air-quoting him and rolling her eyes. This was not a good day for her. Honestly, her heart was racing ninety miles an hour still after being thrown to the wall - which made her sore, not that anyone cared - and she just wanted to understand what was going on. Something was definitely fishy here, and if she did not start getting answers soon, she'd have to start throwing things. Okay, not really throwing things. There was something about this guy. It made her want to demand a salute, for some reason. Donna held it back, though, that feeling building in the back of her head like there was something she wanted to remember but was not allowed to. As if there were things locked inside her mind. For a moment, she looked confused, but she clasped her hands together and sighed heavily. The hell with these secretive types. They never told you what you wanted to know, anyway, right? There was nothing she could really do here in the first place. She told them her story. What more did they want!?

Finally, though, she decided to go with the new guy. "Does this mean I have to go through the whole bloody story again!? Don't you have me on tape or whatever now?" Although, food did sound nice right about now. Donna could seriously use something to eat. Maybe just a snack - but if he's buying, then a nice meal would be good too. She could really eat. A little rush of adventure was enough to get the blood pumping and the stomach rather empty. It was not every day that someone was stalking you and then is gutted right in front of you while you have to watch. Why did she stay there? The hell if she knew. Why didn't the armed person come for her?

Why was she alive?

Mace smiled slightly at the comment on him having a brain, "Thank you Ma'am, my name is Colonel Alan Mace - you can call me Alan if you want, your a civilian so your afforded that nicety," the TORCHWOOD woman chimed in then, "Colonel, with all due respect, your treating a witness who could-" Alan glanced at her annoyedly as he led Donna from the room, "What I'm doing is taking a blood-soaked woman to a room with a sink, I'm going to talk to her and she's going to explain in a CALM tone what happened to a victim of an unwarranted attack. I'm sorry that some TORCHWOOD gadget isn't going to help you this time - I'm going... to TALK with this woman," he shrugged, "I learned from the best after all,"

Taking Donna's hand Alan led her into the operating room, "I'm sorry," he said as she looked at the tables with the two dead victims lying on the tables, "But this is the only room with a sink... typical TORCHWOOD niceties; don't even have a bog on the base," leading her to the sink Alan watched as she washed her hands and arms, "According to the report that woman has been following you for the past week and a half... I'm guessing she was learning how you behaved in public... planning on replacing you,"

Getting Donna's eye Alan sighed, "She was a Lupine Waveform... a female one at that - unlike their male counterparts the female of the species replaces members of other species. They keep their hosts bodily functions alive long enough to... procreate - usually having a high birth rating of twins or triplets - then they slaughter the hosts mate and abscond with the children," he nodded at the 'gray' lying on the table next to the lupine waveform, "And that, is a Triskele... they're species lives in two halves - the Engineers and the Destroyers. Dividing the two halves is their leader who keeps the two in perfect balance,"

He smiled, "This Engineer is - judging from the contents of its stomach and bloodstream - a renegade," tipping his hand back Alan smirked, "He was stoned AND drunk when they found him," he smirked, "Seems he liked a little-" suddenly the hooker sat straight up and began screaming - though it was more of a gurgle - as her completely black eyes turned a bright white and her skin began to shimmer, "Doctors!" Alan shouted as the medical staff came running in to examine the dying alien, "Death! Pain! Scour - out face! DEATH!"

When she saw Alan her eyes managed to focus, "The wolf... something of the wolf... you have been near him... the one who let him go..." looking at Donna she screamed as more blood began to pour from the holes in the hosts body, "The HOST... no strength... we must... the host!" Alan found himself pushing the doctors away, "Don't drug her again! Let her speak! Who did this to you... come on! Please! Who did this to you?!" suddenly fangs formed in the mouth of the Lupine waveform as she tried to shift into her true form. "Why should we ANSWER you small one? You little things... you BURN like the sun - such small bright lives... so short... all we require is the MOON! The power of the moon- SILENCE and shadows! You will diiieeee!"

The waveform began to phase out of her host when the TORCHWOOD woman reengaged the field keeping her in place, "The moon... the pain... we failed... the pain... disengage the field... let me go!" Alan put his hand on the switch for the field, "What are you doing here? Who sent you?" her face contorted in a display of rage, "W-we-we require f-fo-foo-food just as much as you... little things... our worlds - so many... fed - food worlds! Food worlds for plastic men - little tentacle creatures - FED so many have FED on our worlds!"

Her form shimmered as it pressed against the field - straining to be free, "You were here for food?" the waveform howled, "A bright one - he knows safe worlds! Worlds we will not fight for! HIDDEN - SAFE! Our people must be kept... CENTAURI! A little man hiding a bright light! Totters LAAAAAANE!"

Flipping the switch Mace watched as the waveform pulsed back into its energy form and vanished through the ceiling, "It would seem... that we have our contact," he clicked his teeth, "Either that... or our killer," the woman from TORCHWOOD raised an eyebrow, "I'll have Totters Lane investigated and-" Mace shook his head, "No... no, Ms. Nobel and I will pay a visit... one troop of UNIT soldiers - no TORCHWOOD and no weapons beyond hand-guns," the woman sneered, "Colonel in my opinion-" offering Donna his hand Mace smiled tiredly, "Opinion ignored Ms. I'm here representing UNIT and the United Nations - this isn't a TORCHWOOD matter,"

Watching as Mace spoke into his cell-phone, issuing orders, the woman scowled, "Not yet..."

Alright, so secret government entities seemed to really exist. Well, that was something, she supposed. Whether she liked it or not, they existed and for some reason she was stuck here as their ... what, prisoner? Donna almost shuttered at the thought. She certainly did not plan on being a captive at their hands - or anyone's, for that matter - when she left for work this afternoon. Neither did she think she was being stalked, though. "Alan seems too informal, I think I'll stick with Colonel, thank you," Donna tried not to be snippy at him, he was just trying to help her out here - more so than those guys in the other room. It was only when she ended up in the 'operating room' or whatever the hell they called it, that Donna was not so sure she wanted to be there. What was that sweet smell? It was different from the iron in blood. It was ... sweet. Iron was a bitter metallic smell. Her nostrils flared as she walked with him to the sink. That Torchwood woman was still there, fussing at the Colonel. Donna easily ignored her and turned on the water to start washing off, not even noticing her hands were shaking so much. When did that start? Oh, who knew! Maybe when she witnessed a mauling murder right in front of her? Yeah. That would do it, she supposed. Calm tone? Oh, he did not know Donna. She smirked a little, but nodded in agreement - if he could be civil, she could do her best to be civil. Gadget? What sort of gadget might help them with sassy Donna? Or maybe she did not want to know. Being top secret government things or whatever.

"Week and a half?" She asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it all, shrugging but then freezing. Replacing? "Oi, no one can replace me, pretty boy ... I mean Colonel." Donna was finishing up at the sink, doing a surgical scrub - minus the loofa, just her nails - and listening to him finish speaking. She felt a little lightheaded, thinking about some kind of - what, alien? As if those even existed! - actually being able to replace her. And have little ugly alien babies. Donna swallowed, not liking that thought at all. It was just so much to take in, yet part of her felt like she knew about what he was talking about. Part of her felt like she understood everything he was mentioning but had merely forgotten a long time ago. Why would she have forgotten about some nasty aliens who had babies or were engineers? Donna had just turned around, listening to Colonel Mace talk about the gray thing when the breast-less woman-alien sat up. Donna jumped back, ramming herself into the sink. "I ... she was ... but I ... she was dead, right!?" She stammered, unable to understand the bit still about how these aliens took on human hosts. Nasty stuff, really.

What? Wolf? "The Bad Wolf," Donna muttered, as if understanding, then a second later, she was confused again. "Oi, you got the wrong person, I don't know any wolf!" Her shaking hands found themselves on her hips, calming the quivering and being defiant at the same time. Oh, some Tylenol would really be good right about now. They need the moon? What about dying? Century? No ... Centauri. Who was Centauri? Was he someone that might end up stalking her too? Donna had enough excitement for one day, it was time to go home and scrub everything out of her brain. It was like a hot iron being placed in her head, all the information bright and interesting but burning her up because she felt like she knew it, but could not recall it. Why would she know about aliens and whatever else never really existed before now for her? Or had it? Donna was so confused, she just leaned against the sink now, still watching as it started talking about food. All it wanted was food? And yet it was stalking her. And then was killed? Part of Donna wanted to thank the stranger who had killed it, but the other part of her wanted to deck it upside its little armored head. All the ... lupine whatever ... was doing was trying to get food for her family or something. Right? That was harmless enough, surely they had food here for them! Totters Lane? Oh, Donna knew where that was. And, as a plus side, her headache seemed to subside at least a tiny bit, thinking about knowing where things were around here. It was her human side - not that she knew that.

Not that she knew she was really the DoctorDonna, but her memory was trapped, hidden. Not erased completely.

Donna took the Colonel's hand, feeling safe with him to some degree. These Torchwood people - or whatever - seemed to want her kept under lock and key because she happened to witness it and everything. Well, damn them, she was not going to stay here. No, in everything Donna always went down fighting. Even if she did not know that - or remember the good times with the Doctor. Not yet, anyway. She did not even remember meeting the Colonel before, but that feeling was in the back of her mind, urging her to salute him. Donna knew she could trust Mace, but could not explain ... how she knew she could. It was just that gut instinct that he was a good guy on the right side. So there she was, taking his hand, going to try and find some guy named Centauri. Still, it was a scary thought that someone had been truly stalking her for that long. Looking to replace her? It was so very ... science fiction, and she knew she was not into that sort of thing. Yet, somehow, it almost all made sense to some degree. As if science fiction was real, and aliens really did exist.

Part of her felt like she had known an alien, even. No, that wasn't possible.

Mace sighed as he rubbed tiredly at his eyes. Ever since he'd met the Doctor back then he'd unwound a good deal - less formal... of course, being married to the greatest woman on earth helped. Still, his long time annoyance with the 'big stick' propaganda of the mighty unending TORCHWOOD also helped - seeing that woman mad at him always helped, "What can you tell me about whats left of that waveforms body?" the doctor standing there shrugged, "Its body was dying - it would seem that before it was taken the body had OD'd on a drug of some sort... only the waveform was keeping it alive," Alan nodded, "Meaning that the waveform used all its strength trying to keep its new host alive and was unable to continue much longer without beaming back into space or..."

Glancing at Donna, Mace shrugged, "Still, its over now... maybe this 'Centauri' can expand on what we've got... she was looking for 'food worlds' or something?" the doctor shook his head, "I'm guessing that this waveform came here for a meeting or something... something involving new worlds for her people?" Mace raised an eyebrow, "Plastic Men... could it be those auton things from the 2005 incident?" the doctor shrugged, "If it is its an earlier strain of the auton species - the last time the consciousness invaded, according to our sources, it had devolved into some sort of living animalistic plastic creature instead of the sentient tentacled parasite the waveform spoke of,"

Mace shook his head as he took led Donna out the door, "With how many vagabond aliens find this planet I doubt we'll ever get a full story - at least this time you-know-who isn't involved. I can't be all that deadly if he's not here," turning his attention back to Donna, Mace smiled, "Sorry to keep you involved like this Ms. Nobel - but your the only witness we've got. If this Centauri man or woman isn't the killer or the next target we might need you to talk to him or her on what we do next," meeting the troop he'd called for at the door Mace nodded, "Alright, your to follow myself and Ms. Nobel but you will ONLY exit your vehicle when I give the order... is that understood?"

When the troops gave Mace a salute the Colonel introduced Donna to a sprite-like young woman with blond hair, "This is Captain McEllen - she's an old friend. She'll be your guard for this ordeal Ms. Nobel," nodding her head McEllen smiled, "Och Ma'am, it be a pleasure ta meet ye," she said in a thick Scottish brogue. Following Donna and Mace over to the jeep McEllen sat down in the back, checked her hand pistol, and then nodded at the rest of the UNIT soldiers, "Load up lads!"

Turning the engine over Mace clicked his teeth, "I do hope I still remember how to drive one of these," he said with a chuckle as the jeep roared out towards the highway.

"So," Mace shouted over the roar of the wind as they drove along the highway, "What were you doing when that waveform tried to use you as its new host?" looking at his watch Mace gunned the engine and went up the left ramp towards town, "My wife Marion would love this," he said with a silly grin. "Always one for adventure that woman - kind of helped me relax really," turning the corner towards totters lane Mace looked at his watch again and stopped at a stop sign, "This place used to be a dump," he said, "A scarp yard namely... a few years before that a skirmish with a bunch of pepper-pots helped lead to the original formation of UNIT,"

Looking around the area Mace nodded, "The school across the street has been condemned since then - they're planning to knock it down over the summer and put a new one up. Totters Lane has been cleaned up since those days but its still mostly empty - old hobos and vagabonds lying around there on Saturday night," he chuckled, "And on Friday the local teens 'll get drunk and snog around the trash cans," glancing at Donna he smirked, "Not that I ever did any of that of course, a Colonel has standards of course,"

Climbing out of the jeep Mace nodded for McEllen and Donna to follow. Sniffing the air Mace sighed, "Dusk... always so quiet at these hours..." suddenly a cheerful voice split the quiet peace with a badly out of tune song, "Button up your overcoat! When the wind blows free! Take good care of yourself - you belong to me!" turning the corner in totters lane Mace raised an eyebrow. Standing in front of an old shack was an elderly man. A long black coat hung on the side of the shack but he was dressed like a gentleman - silk shirt, button up waistcoat - everything. A scarf was hanging around his neck and a strangely battered old pocket-watch was hanging from one of his pockets.

Next to him was a strange-looking little black... thing. It looked like a dog. On its back was a pot of some sort and inside it was a flower... but not just any flower. It seemed to be a transparent flower... completely transparent petals with a jewel-like center. A little girl wearing a big hat and work gloves was humming to herself as she listened to her IPod - obviously long since tired of listening to the old mans annoyingly grating voice, "Be careful crossing streets, ooh-ooh! Cut out sweets, ooh-ooh! Lay off meat, ooh-ooh!" suddenly the black thing moved forward as Mace moved towards the old man, *STEP NO FURTHER, I AM ARMED AND WILL FIRE,* it said in a perfectly calm voice as a laser-like emitter slid out of its nose.

McEllen trained her pistol on the black-thing but it seemed undeterred, *I REPEAT, PLEASE STEP NO FURTHER - I AM PROGRAMED IN VARIOUS LEVELS OF DEFENSE. A SIMPLE BALLISTIC PROJECTILE WILL NOT ENDANGER MY ARMOR IN ANY WAY,* Mace rolled his eyes, "Oh for god-sakes your pointing a gun at a plastic dog McEllen - relax, at ease," suddenly the old man stood up, "Quite right, the same goes for you K-9. Your supposed to be helping me remember?" K-9 retracted its laser, *I WOULD DO BETTER AS A GUARD, MASTER. THAN A WHEELBARROW,* the old man smiled as he dropped his scarf around the dogs neck, "Yes but would you have as much fun? I think not,"

Turning his attention to Mace, McEllen and Donna. The old man raised an eyebrow, "Can I help you?" Mace tilted his head to one side. This old man seemed oddly out of place here - dressed like a gentleman and living in a shack with his... daughter? "If you'll pardon me sir, my name is Colonel Alan Mace and I am here representing UNIT as-" the old man threw his hands up in the air, "Oh now we have it! I told you they'd notice a shack," he said with a quirky smile in Pande's direction, "Now then, is this the part where you poke me? And prod me? And experiment me?"

Mace looked confused, "Experiment you?" the old man sighed, "Yes... of course sooner or later the fun will be over and then the testing will begin," he sighed melodramatically, "And I just don't have a number two pencil!" Mace opened his mouth and then shut it and then opened it again, "Please, sir, I simply want to know who you are," the old man smiled kindheartedly, but his eyes betrayed a keen observance - as if he was interviewing all of them personally without saying a word, "Why certainly, I'm Hitler - that's Osama Ben-Laden," he said with a nod in Pande's direction, "And this here," he patted K-9 on the back, "Is Hoo Flung Dung,"

When the Mace just looked confused the old man grinned, "Oh come now - don't believe me? Watch us talk in code! You'll be most impressed!" Mace held out his hands, "Look, two people have been murdered - we're looking for someone who might be able to tell us what happened - just tell us who you are, please!" the old man sighed, "Oh well... you had to find out sooner or later," he tapped himself in the chest, "My name is Centauri, that's Pande and that's K-9," he shrugged, "We're travelers - my ship decided it wanted to be gardened for a change so," he shrugged, "We're gardening,"

[[ annndddddd....! *LEAPS INTO THE FRAY!* ]]

"Centauri, you sing funny," Pande was giggling, she was up to her arms in god potting soil and looking over her shoulder at the old man as he sang. She sat up, and scratched at an itch on her face. When her hand was pulled back, she had a black smudge on her thirteen-year old face. But she didn't seem to notice. She was too busy grinning at K9 and Centauri. She turned back to the dirt again and enthusiastically ran a trowel through it, not really knowing what she was doing, but enjoying herself non the less. She looked back at the Time Lord and giggled, "Centauri, 'ow'come Cascade can sing so nicely, and you can't?" She asked, sticking out her tongue just a fraction before she noticed that they were no longer alone.

Her eyes widened and she smiled politely at the troupe there. Her eyes drifted from the man in charge to look at the red haired woman. Pande tilted her head mildly to the side. Was there something about the women she knew? She lifted her chin and sniffed enthusiastically at the air, her hat (which she'd found in Cascade's wardrobe room) nearly flopped off her head. She laughed and reached up a dirt-covered hand to pull it back on her face. Pande's child eyes turned to look at K9, who was still on the defensive. She strode over confidently and sighed. Always so formal, she laughed when Centauri tried to call the dog off. Her hands reached up without fear of the robot and turned it to look at her. Easily she bumped her forehead against the dog's forehead and grinned. "Stop it silly, you'll scare the nice people away," she turned shining eyes on Donna, "You are nice people, yes?" she asked hopefully, still keeping firm hands on k-9.

She threw a pouty expression at Centauri when he commented on the fact that they'd noticed the shack. She stuck her tongue out at him, "Well, it's better than a rock," she commented blandly, not really having a retort for him. She patted k9's head happily and smiled, "Good dog." she told him, still smiling. She looked over when Centauri 'introduced' them. When the old man called himself Hitler, Pande squeaked, "Heil!" and succumbed to a fit of cackling as she looked at K9. The dog didn't seem so impressed with her. She felt him pull back, testing to see if she was holding onto him. "Oh no you don't," she growled and fixed the dog with a glare.

Pande's ears perked, "Murdered? Like that show... CSI? Are you calling us in to investigate?" she inquired, excited. She turned to General Mace and then blinked a few times and gave him an owl-like stare. "Mace. Like... Mace Windu. You're a Jedi?" She gave a sudden glad cry and let go of K9, turning with a pleading child face. "But you don't look black..." her head tilted and she looked sad for a few moments and then looked at Centauri, "He lied. He's not Mace Windu. I think we should go back to gardening."

*TAGGED FOR LOCKING AND MOVEMENT*