Barometer
bellwether \BEL-weth-uhr\, noun:
A leader of a movement or activity;
also, a leading indicator of future trends.
A/N: Spoilers for classic series and TCI
It was a strange fascination. And many people had questioned him on it, but he'd always remained silent on the matter. Usually driving the asker mad with an irritatingly enigmatic smile or else outright denial. But the truth was that he knew why he was so fascinated by the people and the place. But he'd always been pretty sure that that wasn't why the rest of his race was drawn to the place. Most of them despised the very things about humans that he was so fond of. In many cases used those same things against them. When he really thought about it, nearly every renegade of his own people that he'd ever run into had at least visited the place, if not spent a fair bit of time there.
And why?
The planet wasn't particularly rich in resources they could exploit. The people weren't exactly the most advanced in the universe...but they weren't primative to the 'lets worship the alien as a god level' anymore...or at least most of them weren't. It was a small, out of the way planet but an awful lot of people cared about what happened there.
And then one day, during his third incarnation, he realised. He was still confined to Earth at the time so maybe that had made him just cynical enough to realise it.
His people kept track of Earth for the same reason they kept track of him. Races he fought regularly were to be watched carefully in case of future danger. Places he visited regularly probably had some hidden power or charm. Back then he'd presumed that his regular visits to Earth had drawn their attention and that they were fascinated because they didn't know, couldn't begin to comprehend his true fascination with the place.
Walking away from Harriet Jones he'd understood the true reason they'd watched so closely. Maybe they hadn't fully understood the reasons why the little planet fascinated so many species but they had understood completely that it was important. Every up and coming species, seeking to explore the universe or merely dominate it came here. Whether they were single lost explorers adrift in the universe or armies of empire building soldiers, it was to earth that they came when they first left their own little corners of the universe. He didn't know why but chances were it wasn't that important. It was just a fact of life.
Earth. Mostly Harmless? Not likely, more like barometer of the universe.
He'd be watching carefully.
A leader of a movement or activity;
also, a leading indicator of future trends.
A/N: Spoilers for classic series and TCI
It was a strange fascination. And many people had questioned him on it, but he'd always remained silent on the matter. Usually driving the asker mad with an irritatingly enigmatic smile or else outright denial. But the truth was that he knew why he was so fascinated by the people and the place. But he'd always been pretty sure that that wasn't why the rest of his race was drawn to the place. Most of them despised the very things about humans that he was so fond of. In many cases used those same things against them. When he really thought about it, nearly every renegade of his own people that he'd ever run into had at least visited the place, if not spent a fair bit of time there.
And why?
The planet wasn't particularly rich in resources they could exploit. The people weren't exactly the most advanced in the universe...but they weren't primative to the 'lets worship the alien as a god level' anymore...or at least most of them weren't. It was a small, out of the way planet but an awful lot of people cared about what happened there.
And then one day, during his third incarnation, he realised. He was still confined to Earth at the time so maybe that had made him just cynical enough to realise it.
His people kept track of Earth for the same reason they kept track of him. Races he fought regularly were to be watched carefully in case of future danger. Places he visited regularly probably had some hidden power or charm. Back then he'd presumed that his regular visits to Earth had drawn their attention and that they were fascinated because they didn't know, couldn't begin to comprehend his true fascination with the place.
Walking away from Harriet Jones he'd understood the true reason they'd watched so closely. Maybe they hadn't fully understood the reasons why the little planet fascinated so many species but they had understood completely that it was important. Every up and coming species, seeking to explore the universe or merely dominate it came here. Whether they were single lost explorers adrift in the universe or armies of empire building soldiers, it was to earth that they came when they first left their own little corners of the universe. He didn't know why but chances were it wasn't that important. It was just a fact of life.
Earth. Mostly Harmless? Not likely, more like barometer of the universe.
He'd be watching carefully.