Halfway Out Of The Dark || The Doctor

Partners in Crime

Donna Noble walked purposely along a busy London street, smartly dressed in a black suit and carrying a red folder in her hand. Her destination: Adipose Industries, a company that had sprung up a couple of months ago, and sold weight loss pills. There were numerous conspiracy theories about the company on the Internet, and Donna was going to investigate. Ever since her disastrous wedding, she had developed an interest in investigating strange stuff.

Little did she know, she wasn't the only person interested in investigating the company.

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The Doctor and the Artist strode hand-in-hand along another London street, with the Doctor dressed in his trademark brown suit and coat, while the Artist was wearing the same outfit she'd worn while undercover at Deffry Vale. They were also bound for Adipose Industries, having heard the rumours and theories about the company too, and so they had decided to investigate themselves.

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Donna paused outside the Adipose building, an impressive-looking tower block, then she made her way in through the front entrance, past a receptionist on the phone.

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The Time Lords approached a fire exit at the rear of the Adipose building. "Care to do the honours?" the Doctor asked.

"My pleasure." the Artist replied and flashed her sonic screwdriver on the door, unlocking it. The Doctor pulled it open, then they made their way inside.

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Donna reached a door guarded by a security guard, "Donna Noble, health and safety." she said, showing him an ID card. He nodded his consent and let her pass.

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The Time Lords walked down a corridor in the building's cellar area, past another security guard. "John Smith, Nancy Jones, health and safety." the Doctor said as he and the Artist flashed their psychic paper to the guard.

"Just think; soon it'll be Nancy Smith." the Artist remarked once the guard was out of earshot.

"I can't wait." the Doctor grinned. It had been four months since he'd proposed to the Artist and although they were yet to set a date for their nuptials, they were definitely enjoying their engaged status.

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Donna was soon sat in an auditorium with members of the press, listening to the company's head, Miss Foster, a stern-looking blonde woman with glasses, give a speech about the company's product. "Adipose Industries, the 21st century way to lose weight." she announced, sounding like a TV advert, "No exercise, no diet, no pain. Just lifelong freedom from fat. The holy grail of the modern age. And here it is." She held up a white & red capsule. "You just take one capsule. One capsule, once a day for three weeks, and the fat, as they say..."

"The fat just walks away." a male voice on her computer said.

A black woman sitting next to Donna held her hand up. "Excuse me, Miss Foster, if I could?" she called, "I'm Penny Carter, science correspondent for the Observer. There are a thousand diet pills on the market, a thousand con men stealing people's money. How do we know the fat isn't going straight into your bank account?"

"Oh, Penny, if cynicism burnt off calories, we'd all be thin as rakes." Miss Foster snorted, "But if you want the science, I can oblige."

The screen behind her began playing a presentation. "Adipose Industries." the male computer voice announced, "The Adipose capsule is composed of a synthesised, mobilising lipase, bound to a large protein molecule. The mobilising lipase breaks up the triglycerides stored in the adipose cells, which then enter..."