It's All Downhill

By Sonic Jules

.

Disclaimer: Doctor Who and the characters of said show do not belong to me, no matter how hard I've wished for it. No infringement meant on the owners and associates, nor BBC.

.

A/N: As always, a special thanks to Catharticone, who not only beta'd, but actually inspired this story. This was her idea.

.

Chapter One:

Hot and Bothered

.

"Steamy, sticky mess - that's what this planet is," Rose pouted. She looked at the Doctor, who was suspiciously quiet. She watched him as he worked, noticing there wasn't a bead of perspiration to be found on his face, and poked him in the side before crossing her arms.

"Hmm?" the Time Lord replied as if he hadn't heard a word she'd groused.

"I thought we were supposed to be rescuin' somebody or somethin' or other. Not standing here wilting away on some sauna planet."

"We are. These people will have no water supply if I can't figure out how to disable the dam without blowing it apart, which is what they were planning to do before we arrived. With this bizarre drought occurring the suns are going to remove all the moisture from the crops in seven point three days. In twelve point five days the creeks are going to start drying up. Freeing the water from the dam slowly should bring enough water for the people and their crops to survive with time to spare until this odd dry spell is over with."

"Why can't they just move to the other side of the dam and live around the lake?" Rose asked wisely.

"The Grova Nostra."

"Who?"

"Actually, it's more like 'what'. They're a bit like the fire ants from Earth, only fifteen times larger and much more aggressive. They live and thrive around the lake. So these people and the Grova Nostra get along by each staying in their respective places and not disturbing one another."

"What's so bad about blowin' the dam? Havin' the Grova Nostras washin' through?" she asked.

"Well, there's that," he began sarcastically. "And I suppose if they have water they won't mind it coming all at once and pulling the crops out by the roots and drowning those plants that remain. Then there're the houses the wall of water will take down, but these folks would most likely be happy to rebuild. Of course, they won't have any food or shelter, but if by some miracle they did survive such a sudden watery onslaught and the Grova Nostra's attacking them-"

"All right," Rose interrupted. "Point taken. 'M sorry. It's just that I'm used to running for our lives an' savin' the day, not standing in a control room, meltin' in place. B'sides, you've been at this for almost two days now. Seems to me it'd be simpler just to make it rain instead."

"Rose, I dare say you're a bit tetchy with this heat." He looked at her for a moment before returning his gaze to the dam's main computer screen. "Your hair's not faring too well with the humidity, either," the Doctor remarked as he clicked on a few buttons.

"Oi! Have you looked in a mirror lately?"

Suddenly the Time Lord seemed frozen in place for a moment before turning to stare at his companion. Rose instantly raised a hand to her hair, trying to tamp down the frizzy poof he'd implied she had.

"Rose! You're brilliant!" The Doctor suddenly grasped her in a tight hug.

"I am?" she asked, feeling quite smothered and even more sticky.

"Yes!" the Doctor practically yelled in her face as he leaned back enough to see her. "The dam isn't so much the problem as the prolonged shortage of rainfall!"

"Yeah, and?"

"And, we can fix the rain problem now and there'll be plenty of time later to fix the dam! You're way too clever, you are," he exclaimed, kissing her forehead quickly before releasing her and running out the door.

Rose stood there, her jaw slack as she looked at the exit. Closing her mouth, she shook her head then took off after the Doctor.

-o-

The village of Manucson sat on the side of a hill, though not high enough to withstand the wall of water that would pour through if the dam were blown. The hill itself extended for miles and miles, houses lined on either side as far as the eye could see. Small freshwater creeks ran along either side of the hill in the valleys, while the rest of the land was tilled and well maintained to grow their crops. Beyond that, there was the "Lake of the Gods" - the only source of drinkable and replenishing water for the people and their land, which was of course home to the Grova Nostra. The rest of the small planet was surrounded in sea water, the villagers the only human inhabitants.

When a shortage of rainfall occured, the dam was set to release water slowly from the lake and replenish the creeks which flow into the valleys. It was a gift from travelers to the planet many centuries ago. Its flow had not been changed for many a generation, and soon the people had taken its use for granted. They ignored the dam's need for general maintenance, which the vistors had specifically instructed them to do. When the residents faced the realization that no rain was forthcoming and the dam wasn't working properly, they tried to open it a bit more only to realize the mechanisms had seized, and they had no way to fix them. The visitors had built something far more sophisticated than this fairly undeveloped society could handle. And then the Doctor and the woman had arrived.

Around the houses were trails made by the people visiting one another and trading, and tropical-looking trees which, with good weather, normally bore abundant fruit and provided shelter over the homes to keep them cool. At present, however, the trees looked rather sad as they drooped from lack of moisture and barely produced a few fruits each. Rose looked at them with pity as she left the reservoir building, following the now excited Time Lord as he practically bounced toward the TARDIS.

Rose walked at a normal pace, a bit miffed at the Doctor and his sudden excitement. He had a plan, obviously, but still she felt a little left out as he ran ahead of her. Normally he would be running circles around her, explaining his ideas. Not this time.

But that was it, wasn't it? So much of his efforts had been wasted on trying to repair the dam's mechanisms, and the people who inhabited this small planet were already running out of time. The Doctor had to act fast or the very existence of these folks would vanish, just as the rain had.

-o-

To be continued...

-o-