Voyage of The Damned - Part 1
The Tardis is in flight. Suddenly a fog horn sounds and a ship's bow crashes through the side of the Tardis and blows the Doctor and Sophia to their feet.
"What? What?" The Doctor asks about the ship as the ship's bell sounds, and he picks up life belt that has the name Titanic on it. "What?"
The Doctor returns to the console and adjusts the controls. The Tardis walls reform, pushing the ship back outside. Then he materialises inside the ship, next to a board detailing a list of shipping companies. The fog horn is sounding again.
-!-
People in Edwardian dress are enjoying a champagne buffet. A band plays a slow version of Jingle Bells. Around the room are golden skinned statues of male angels. One moves as the Doctor walks past and another moves as Sophia move as she waves at it. Then the Doctor spots a small red-skinned alien in a dinner jacket, and goes to a window.
"Right." The Doctor reliases as a tannoy annouces to all of the customers."Attention all passengers. The Titanic is now in orbit above Sol Three, also known as Earth. Population, Human. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Christmas."
-!-
The Doctor has changed into dinner jacket and bow tie and Sophia got dressed up in a sparkled dress that she uncovered from inside the Tardis wardrobe, maybe from a previous companion. She never got to do this with the Doctor, but he allowed her for this one trip on the spaceship replica of the Titanic. He did also prefer the dress to her normal wear. He described her as a beacon of the stars shining out to him.
"Merry Christmas, sir." A steward told the couple.
"Merry Christmas to you." Sophia says.
The couples onboard are dancing to the music. The Doctor mingles with the crowd before, passing a man on his mobile phone.
"It's not a holiday for me, not while I've still got my vone. Now do as I say and sell."
Sophia goes up to one of the angels.
"Good evening. I am Passenger 29 and my partner, number 30. I would like to ask who or what are you?" Sophia requests to the angel as it responds,"Information. Heavenly Host supplying tourist information."
"Good, so, tell me, because I'm an idiot, where are we from?" The Doctor inquires.
"Information. The Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures." The Heavenly Host explains the information he needs.
"Titanic. It sounds like another ship. Who thought of the name?" Sophia remembers and she inquires on who thought of the name.
"Information. It was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth." The Heavenly Host says to her.
"Did they tell you why it was famous?" The Doctor inquires why they chose it.
"Information. All designations are chosen by Mister Max Capricorn, president of Max, Max, Max." The Heavenly Host says to him as the Host twitches and its voice pitch rises. The Steward notices and hurries over.
"Ooo, bit of a glitch." The Doctor says.
"It's all right, sir, madam. We can handle this." A steward tells the couple as two more officers arrive and they switch off the Host before carrying it away. "Software problem, that's all. Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas. That's another one down. What's going on with these things"
The man from before named Rickston Slade bumps into a little waitress, making her drop her tray of drinks.
"For Tov's sake, look where you're going. This jacket's a genuine Earth antique." Rickston reminds the watiress about his jacket.
"I'm sorry, sir." The waitress, named Astrid apolgizes.
"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart. Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn's going down the drain." Rickston complains as he leaves. The Doctor stoops to help.
"Careful. There we go." The Doctor says to Astrid.
"Thank you, sir. I can manage." Astrid says.
"I never said you couldn't. I'm the Doctor, by the way. Oh, and this is my companion - Sophia." The Doctor introduces himself and Sophia.
"Hello, nice to meet you." Sophia greets herself.
"Astrid, sir. Astrid Peth." Astrid introduces herself to the couple.
"Nice name." Sophia comments.
"Nice to meet you, Astrid Peth. Merry Christmas." The Doctor says.
"Merry Christmas, sir and ma'am." Astrid wishes Merry Christmas to the Doctor.
"Just Doctor, not sir." The Doctor says.
"You enjoying the cruise?" Astrid asks him.
"Er, yeah, I suppose. I don't know. It doesn't quite work, a cruise with being one part of a couple." The Doctor tells Astrid.
"You're not with anyone else?" Astrid inquires to the Doctor.
"No, no, just us. Just, er, used to be but, er, no. What about you? Long way from home, Planet Sto." The Doctor tells her as he asks her to dream back from the planet Sto.
"Doesn't feel that different. I spent three years working at the spaceport diner, travelled all the way here and I'm still waiting on tables." Astrid explains about the job she was doing on the Planet Sto.
"No shore leave?" Sophia inquires about Astrid's shore leave.
"We're not allowed. They can't afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it, just once. I used to watch the ships heading out to the stars and I always dreamt of. It sounds daft." Astrid reveals to her.
"You dreamt of another sky. New sun, new air, new life. A whole universe teeming with life. Why stand still when there're all that life out there?" The Doctor says to her about her dreams back on Sto.
"So, you travel a lot?" Astrid asks if they travel a lot.
"All the time. Just for fun. Well, that's the plan. Never quite works." The Doctor says.
"But it's all the same if it doesn't work." Sophia tells them.
"Must be rich, though." Astrid says.
"Haven't got a penny. Stowaway." The Doctor tells her.
"Kidding." Astrid asks him.
"Seriously." The Doctor agrees.
"No." Astrid disagrees.
"Oh, yeah." Sophia says.
"How did you get on board?" Astrid asks them.
"Accident. We've got this, sort of, ship thing. I was just rebuilding her. Left the defences down. Bumped into the Titanic. Here we are. Bit of a party. We thought, why not?" The Doctor explains to Astrid.
"I should report you." Astrid says.
"Go on then." Sophia tells her.
"I'll get you a drink on the house." Astrid promises as over at another table, a bunch of toffs are laughing at a large woman in a purple cowboy outfit and her equally well padded companion. The Doctor and Sophia join them.
"Just ignore them." Morvin asks his wife to ignore them.
"Something's tickled them." The Doctor says.
"They told us it was fancy dress. Very funny, I'm sure." Foon reminds herself.
"They're just picking on us because we haven't paid. We won our tickets in a competition." Morvin tells them.
"I had to name the five husbands of Joofie Crystalle in By the Light of the Asteroid. Did you ever watch By the Light of the Asteroid?" Foon tells them what competition they entered.
"Is that the one with the twins?" The Doctor says. "Sophia introduced me to it."
"That's it. Oh, it's marvellous." Foon comments.
"But we're not good enough for that lot. They think we should be in steerage." Morvin tells them.
"Well, can't have that, can we?" The Doctor asks them as with his back towards the toffs, the Doctor aims his sonic screwdriver at the champagne bottle in the bucket on their table. The cork pops out, spraying their expensive clothes with alcohol.
"Did you do that?" Foon asks him.
"Maybe." Sophia inquires.
"We like you two." Foon tells the Doctor and Sophia.
"We do. I'm Morvin Van Hoff. This is my good woman, Foon." Morvin introduces himself and his wife.
"Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is my lovely lady, Sophia." The Doctor introduces himself and Sophia.
"Oh, I'm going to need a Doctor, time I've finished with that buffet. Have a buffalo wing. They must be enormous, these buffalo. So many wings." Foon says as she asks them if they would like food.
"Attention please. Shore leave tickets Red Six Seven now activated. Red Six Seven."
"Red Six Seven. That's us. Are you Red Six Seven?" Foon asks them if they are Red 6,7.
"Might as well be." The Doctor says.
"You and I are, I have tickets because well, I stole them." Sophia reveals to him.
"Come on, then. We're going to Earth." Morvin tells them.
An old man in a tweed suit named Mr. Copper is holding up a sign.
"Red Six Seven. Red Six Seven. This way, fast as you can." Mister Copper tells the passengers.
"I got you that drink." Astrid tells the Doctor.
"And I got you a treat. Come on." The Doctor says to her.
"Red Six Seven departing shortly." Mister Copper says as the Doctor shows him the psychic paper.
"Red Six Seven plus one." The Doctor tells Mister Copper with the pyschic paper.
"Quickly, sir, please, and take two teleport bracelets if you would." Mister Copper tells them as he provides the teleport bracelets.
"I'll get the sack." Astrid tells him.
"Brand new sky." The Doctor promises her.
"If you're lucky, Astrid." Sophia says.
"To repeat, I am Mister Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of UK, ruled over by good King Wenceslas. Now, human beings worship the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve, the people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner like savages." Mister Copper tries to describe the true meaning of Christmas to a group of passengers.
"Excuse me. Sorry, sorry, but, er, where did you get all this from?" The Doctor tries to ask Mister Copper's vast knowlodge of Earth.
"Well, I have a first class degree in Earthonomics. Now, stand by." Mister Copper tells the Doctor as the little red alien from before, named Bannakaffalatta runs up.
"And me! And me! Red Six Seven." Bannakaffalatta shouts to Mister Copper.
"Well, take a bracelet, please, sir." Mister Copper tells the red alien.
"But, er, hold on, hold on. What was your name?" The Doctor inquires the red (conker shaped) alien's name.
"Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta names himself for the Doctor.
"Okay, Bannakaffalatta. But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late night shopping, tons of people. He's like a talking conker. No offence, but you'll cause a riot because the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties and..." The Doctor complains about Bannakaffalatta with him being sighted by the humans before he is teleported.
-!-
The group are teleported in mid word to an empty shopping street.
"Oh." The Doctor reliases.
"Now, spending money. I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets, or stockings, or the local delicacy, which is known as beef. But don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing." Mister Copper says about spending money and what has happened.
"Very good." Bannakaffalatta comments.
"It should be full. It should be busy. Something's wrong." The Doctor points out the mistake.
"But it's beautiful." Astrid comments.
"And that is the true beauty of it." Sophia says.
"Really? Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand." The Doctor tells Astrid about more other locations on Earth to visit.
"But it's a different planet. I'm standing on a different planet. There's concrete and shops. Alien shops. Real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks! Oh, this is amazing. Thank you!" Astrid describes the street as she exclaims and thanks the Doctor and Sophia.
"Yeah? Come on then, let's have a look." The Doctor says as the run to a newstand where next to the it is a billboard for The Examiner, headline - London Deserted. The proprietor has a Union Flag behind him. This is Wilfred Moft (a companion that will appear later in Series 4 and the Specials).
"Hello, there. Sorry, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?" The Doctor asks about where everybody has gone.
"Oh ho, scared!" Wilf tells him.
"Scared of what?" Sophia asks Wilf.
"Where've you been living? London at Christmas? Not safe, is it." Wilf tells them.
"Why?" The Doctor inquires.
"Well, it's them, up above. Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof. And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames." Wilf explains about the past two Christmases (The Christmas Invasion and The Runaway Bride.)
"This place is amazing." Astrid comments.
"And this year, Lord knows what. So, everybody's scarpered. Gone to the country. All except me and Her Majesty." Wilf explains the people in London.
"Her Majesty the Queen has confirmed that she'll be staying in Buckingham Palace throughout the festive season to show the people of London, and the world, that there's nothing to fear."
"God bless her. We stand vigil." Wilf says.
"Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right. Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about." The Doctor convinces him before he, Sophia and Astrid vanish.
"Then again." Wilf says otherwise.
-!-
"I was in mid-sentence." The Doctor complains.
"Yes, I'm sorry about that. A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets." Mister Copper apolgizes as he asks for the braclets to be handed in.
"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, and Bannakaffalatta. We seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided." The Steward explains his apoligies for the ship.
"Thank you." Foon thanks the Steward for the drinks.
"That was the best. The best!" Astrid comments.
"What sort of power fluctuation?" The Doctor asks about the power fluctuation.
"Please, don't ask about that." Sophia complains to him.
The Doctor uses his sonic screwdriver to unfasten the frame and get at the electronics behind it. He changes the image to ship's status. The shields are off-line. The Doctor looks out of the nearby porthole to see the three fireballs heading their way.
-!-
The speaking tube whistles onto the bridge.
"Is that the bridge? I need to talk to the Captain. You've got a meteoroid storm coming in west zero by north two." The Doctor asks for their attention.
"Who is this?" The Captain asks about the Doctor's idenity.
"Never mind that, your shields are down. Check your scanners, Captain. You've got meteoroids coming in and now shielding." The Doctor explains to the Captain.
"You have no authorisation. You will clear the comms at once." The Captain commands the Doctor.
"Yeah? Just look starboard!" The Doctor shouts to them.
"Come with me, sir." The Steward asks the Doctor as he is being escorted off deck. Sophia notices it as she tries to wrestle with the other members of staff. "You've got a rock storm heading for this ship and the shields are down."
The Doctor gets away from his escort. He takes the microphone stand from the singer.
"Everyone, listen to me! This is an emergency! Get to the lifeb." The Doctor annouces before a Host puts its hand over the Doctor's mouth. "Look out the windows!"
The Doctor is taken away.
"Him friend." Bannakaffalatta notes to the guards as Rickston sees the meteoroids.
"If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself." The Doctor tells them.
"Sir, I can vouch for him!" Sophia says.
"Look, Steward, he's just had a bit too much to drink." Morvin says.
"Sir, something seems to have gone wrong. All the teleports have gone down." Mister Copper complains.
"Not now!" The Steward tells them.
A piece of hot rock breaks through a window and lands at Rickston Slade's feet.
"Oxygen membrane holding. Oxygen membrane holding."
Rickston goes to a nearby Host.
"You there. Has anyone checked the external shielding?" Rickston asks the Host.
"Information. You are all going to die." The Host proclaims.
"Where's the Chief Steward?" Rickston asks an officer about the Chief Steward.
"Er, he went that way, sir." The officer tells Rickston.
-!-
"The shields are down. We are going to get hit." The Doctor says.
"Oi! Steward! I'm telling you, the shields are down!" Rickston shouts.
"Listen to him. Listen to him!" The Doctor says to the Steward as the first fireball impacts the Titanic dead centre. Fires, panic from all the other two hit as the ship ends up in an explosion sends the Doctor, Sophia and Astrid flying, then everything goes quiet, apart from people whimpering.
"It's all right, sweetheart." Morvin comforts his wife.
"Shush. It's stopping." The Doctor tells them to be quiet as there are three large holes in the hull."You all right?"
"I think so." Astrid says.
"Of course. I am." Sophia tells the Doctor.
"Bad name for a ship. Either that or this suit is really unlucky." The Doctor says.
"Er, everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta. I must apologise on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision." The Steward apolgizes.
"Small?" Morvin asks.
"Do you know how much I paid for my ticket?" Rickston inquires.
"If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen. Please. Quiet! Thank you. I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience, but first I would point out that we're very much alive." The Steward tells them.
"Doctor." Astrid says as Mister Copper has a cut on his head. "Are you all right?"
"She is, after all, a fine, sturdy ship. If you could all stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the situation." The Steward says as he goes to a nearby hatch.
"Don't open it!" The Doctor tells him as the Chief Steward is sucked out into space. Everybody hangs onto the nearest fixed object while the Doctor sonics a control panel that is flashing Vacuum Breach. It changes to Oxygen Shield.
"Oxygen shield stabilised."
"Everyone all right? Astrid?" The Doctor asks if everyone is all right in the group.
"Yeah." Astrid agrees.
"Sophia? Foon? Morvin? Mister Copper? Bannakaffalatta?" The Doctor inquires the rest in group.
"Yes." Bannakaffalatta says.
"You, what was your name?" The Doctor asks about the man's name from before.
"Rickston Slade." Rickston tells the Doctor.
"You all right?" The Doctor inquries.
"No thanks to that idiot." Slade says.
"The steward just died." Astrid tells him.
"Then he's a dead idiot." Rickston counter-acts her.
"All right, calm down. Just stay still, all of you. Hold on." The Doctor tells them.
"What happened? How come the shields were down?" Astrid asks him.
"I don't think it was an accident." The Doctor says as they look out of the hatchway and the hole in the side of the ship to the floating debris and bodies.
"How many dead?" Astrid asks about the death account.
"We're alive. Just focus on that. I will get you out of here, Astrid, I promise. Look at me. I promise. Good. Now, if we can get to Reception, I've got a spaceship tucked away. We can all get on board and. Oh." The Doctor says.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Astrid inquires.
"That's my ship over there." The Doctor says.
"Where?" Astrid asks him.
"There. That box. That little blue box." Sophia says to her.
"That's a spaceship?" Astrid asks about the box being a spaceship.
"Oi, don't knock it." The Doctor tells him.
"It's a bit small." Astrid complains.
"A bit distant. Trouble is, once it's set adrift, it's programmed to lock onto the nearest centre of gravity, and that would be the Earth." The Doctor explains before he uses a speaking tube.
"Deck twenty two to the bridge. Deck twenty two to the bridge. Is there anyone there?" The Doctor asks.
"This is the bridge." A sailor responds, his name is Midshipman Frame.
"Oh hello, sailor. Good to hear you. What's the situation up there?" The Doctor inquires.
"We've got air. The oxygen field is holding, but the Captain, he's dead. He did it. I watched while he took down the shields. There was nothing I could do. I tried. I did try." Midshipman Frame explains.
"All right. Just stay calm. Tell me your name. What's your name?" The Doctor asks his name.
"Midshipman Frame." Frame names himself.
"Nice to meet you, sir. What's the state of the engines?" The Doctor asks about the engines.
"They're er. Hold on..." Frame says.
"Have you been injured?" The Doctor asks him.
"I'm all right." Frame tells him. "Oh, my Vot. They're cycling down."
"That's a nuclear storm drive, yes?" The Doctor asks Frame.
"Yeah." Frame agrees.
"The moment they're gone... we lose orbit." The Doctor says.
"The planet." Frame tells them.
"Oh, yes. If we hit the planet, the nuclear storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth. Midshipman, I need you to fire up the engine containment field and feed it back into the core." The Doctor explains.
"This is never going to work." Frame disagrees.
"Trust me, it'll keep the engines going until I can get to the bridge." The Doctor says to him.
"We're going to die." Foon figures.
"Are you saying someone's done this on purpose?" Mister Copper asks the Doctor.
"We are. We're going to die." Foon says.
"We're just a cruise ship." Astrid reminds them.
"Okay, okay. Shush, shush, shush, shush, shush. First things first. One. We are going to climb through this ship. B. No. Two. We're going to reach the bridge. Three. Or C. We're going to save the Titanic. And, coming in a very low four, or D, or that little iv in brackets they use in footnotes, why. Right then, follow me." The Doctor gives them instructions.
"Hang on a minute. Who put you in charge and who the hell are you anyway?" Rickston asks him who he is.
"I'm the Doctor. I'm a Time Lord. I'm from the planet Gallifrey in the constellation of Kasterborous. I'm nine hundred and three years old and I'm the man who's going to save your lives and all six billion people on the planet below. You got a problem with that?" The Doctor annouces to everyone as he asks if anyone has a problem with him.
"No." Rickston says.
"In that case, allons-y!" The Doctor tells him.
-!-
The Doctor pushes open a bulkhead door with just a little debris against it.
"Careful. Follow me." The Doctor says.
"Rather ironic, but this is very much in the spirit of Christmas. It's a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on whether they've been good or bad. It's barbaric." Mister Copper judges Christmas.
"Actually, that's not true. Christmas is a time of, of peace and thanksgiving and what am I on about? My Christmases are always like this." The Doctor tries to disagree with Mister Copper before he finds a Host under some metal plates. "We've got a Host. Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble."
"We can do robotics. Both of us." Morvin says.
"We work on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff." Foon says.
"See if you can get it working. Let's have a look." The Doctor tells him as he leads the rest of them further up.
"It's blocked." Astrid says.
"So what do we do?" The Doctor asks her.
"We shift it." Astrid says.
"That's the attitude. Rickston, Mister Copper, and you, Bannakaffalatta. Look, can I just call you Banna? It's going to save a lot of time." The Doctor says as he wants to call Bannakaffalatta, Banna.
"No. Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta says to him.
"All right then, Bannakaffalatta. There's a gap in the middle. See if you can get through." The Doctor tells him to move as the ship shakes and more debris shifts.
"This whole thing could come crashing down any minute." Rickston complains.
"Oh, Rickston, I forgot. Did you get that message?" The Doctor asks him about the message.
"No. What message?" Rickston asks him.
"Shut up!" The Doctor tells him.
"Bannakaffalatta made it." Bannakaffalatta congratulates himself.
"I'm small enough, I can get through." Astrid says.
"Careful." Sophia warns Astrid.
"I'm fine." Astrid says.
"Thing is, how are Mister and Mrs Fatso going to get through that gap?" Rickston asks himself about the family.
"Rickston, we make the space bigger." Sophia says as Foon has heard the comment. Morvin laughs.
"What happened? Did they find a doughnut?" Rickston asks.
"I can clear it from this side. Just tell me if it starts moving. Bannakaffalatta, what's wrong?" Astrid notes as she inquires about Bannakaffalatta.
"Shush." He tells her.
"What is it?"
"Can't say."
"Are you hurt?" Astrid asks him.
"Ashamed." Bannkaffalatta says.
"Of what?" Astrid asks him.
"Poor Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta reveals as he pulls up his shirt to him being a cyborg.
"You're a cyborg." Astrid says.
"Had accident long ago. Secret." Bannakaffalatta tells her.
"No, but everything's changed now. Cyborgs are getting equal rights. They passed a law back on Sto. You can even get married." Astrid explains.
"Marry you?" Bannakaffalatta asks to marry Astrid.
"Well, you can buy me a drink first. Come on. Let's recharge you. Just stay there for a bit." Astrid says.
"Tell no one." Bannkaffalatta tells her.
"I promise." Astrid promises him.
"What's going on up there?" The Doctor asks them.
"I think Bannakaffalatta and I just got engaged." Astrid reveals to him.
"Aww... I hope it goes well for you two." Sophia says.
-Author's Note-
Hello and welcome to the updated Author's Note. I have changed it during my week off. Which was okay. But I did start this on Thursday afternoon, so I planned for today which ends that week hiatus. And yes, I have changed a lot. Oh yes, there is a review from the end of The Beating of Her Hearts which I didn't find until Tuesday, sorry. And guess who it is?
No, not Son of Whitebeard, he's blocked.
Dimas15: Your welcome, hope you have a good day and good luck with everything.
Thank you, you deserve those three mentions.
So, there we go. Enjoy this first chapter of Letting Go Of Her Hearts.
The Imperial Ghost - November 22nd, 2015.