DOCTOR WHO
Twilight I: Stormy Waters
by Liam McNicholas
The Captain was in a bad mood.
That, in itself, was not unusual. The Captain would often lock himself away in he cabin for days, never to be seen or heard. But First Officer Brendon Maxwell knew that wasn't his usual type of depression. Usually, he would just stand on the deck, with his hands clasped behind him, looking out into the ever-calm sea. His eyes seemed to be trying to see behind the waves and the foam and the clear blue sky that stretched out in every direction.
"First Officer Maxwell." It was the Captain's voice. It was too calm for Maxwell's liking, giving the impression that he was sure of himself, certain that he was in charge of what was happening to the HMS Connolly. Maxwell stared into the Captain's eyes. They were a piercing gray. On most days, Maxwell could easily read what was going on in his mind, the feeling that the he was slowly losing his grip on his life, and the slight touch of panic and fear had started to creep into them recently. But now he couldn't read much. Just something new, something he couldn't lay his finger on. A slight sense of awe, or maybe not. "Please come into my cabin. I would like to discuss something with you."
"Of course, Captain," replied Maxwell. He took one look over the Bridge. Men manned their stations, but they didn't look fixed on their task. Their eyes had glazed over, for too long of sitting exactly as they were now. Too long.
"Look sharp, men. This ship has a good name, let's not spoil it now," he shouted. At the beginning, he had believed those words, felt them, and used them to strengthen him. But now, they sounded hollow, meaningless. He watched with a slight feeling of despair as they made a small effort to straighten themselves, a couple of them muttering "aye".
Maxwell then walked over to the Captain's cabin. He hadn't been in here very often, only the couple of times he had delivered a report. Not that there was any need for reports in this godforsaken place. The room was pretty large, by ships cabin standards. However, he had the distinct impression that the Captain had made a deliberate effort to make the place seem as small and cramped as possible. To anyone who hadn't spent a year at sea with this man, it might seem untidy, a mess and jumble of unassociated bric-a-brac and paraphernalia. But Maxwell knew that every object in this room gave a piece of the puzzle of Captain Lewis.
Maxwell also knew what was the Captain's favourite object in the room. It was a large map, pinned up on the far wall, covering nearly all of it. It was one of those ancient ones, from before the whole world was charted. The Captain stood before it right now, looking intently at it, as if for the first time. Maxwell had the feeling that the map was the centerpiece of the whole room, that everything else had been placed around it.
The only piece of furniture in the room was a low bed, coming out from the left-hand wall. Everything else had been removed, on his orders, all chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture.
"Look at it, Commander," the Captain said softly. "From a time when people believed that everything they did was orchestrated by the Gods, who would either punish them or reward them. Of course, we know better now, don't we." He suddenly looked at Maxwell, and the commander felt shivers run up his spine. But the Captain then looked back at his map. "Do you know where we are on this map, Commander?"
Maxwell made a show of looking over the faded map. "No, sir."
"Of course not," the Captain snapped, a sharp note coming into his voice. "Of course you don't know. You know why? We aren't on it. We're not on any map. We're nowhere!"
Maxwell started to feel nervous. "Captain, maybe I should -"
"I've spoken to them you know. A couple of times. They come to me sometimes, when I ask them to. They don't like us, Maxwell." Desperation, and panic, where now clear in his voice. "Don't you realize? They don't like us!"
Suddenly, the Captain closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He turned back to face the map. "Thank you for your time, Commander Maxwell," he said, as if nothing had happened.
Maxwell mumbled something and hurried out. Once outside, he breathed heavily. Something had happened to their captain. What had he been babbling about? Who where they?
Maxwell decided to forget it for now, and get on with his job. As he calmly descended onto the bridge, he could swear he heard a low groaning sound, louder and then softer, louder and then softer. He turned to look in its direction, but the noise had stopped. Probably engine noise, he thought, and then turned his mind to running a ship stuck out at sea with an insane captain…
Jamie insisted on being the first one to leave the TARDIS. Usually it was the Doctor who rushed outside, regardless of the risk and danger most likely to waiting around the corner. However, his fears proved to unfounded. As far as he could tell, he was in a place where people stored things. Lots of crates and packages were about, and the TARDIS itself was nestled in between two such crates.
The Doctor then came out himself, in his usual cheerful mood. "Satisfied, Jamie? Come along, my dear," he said to the third person to leave the TARDIS. Her name was Zoe Heriot, and she came for a space station in Earth's future.
"Where do you think we are now, Doctor?" She asked. After having a look around, she said. "I think we're in the past. These crates and everything look pretty primitive."
"Well, I'd say were on a ship at sea," said the Doctor with no hesitation.
Jamie had to agree with him. "Aye, I can taste the sea air."
"Anyway," continued the Doctor, "it appears to be safe enough. I must confess, I've always had a soft spot for the sea…" he said as he wandered off.
"I suppose we better follow him, Jamie," Zoe said, "before he gets into trouble." Jamie agreed. No matter how peaceful everything seemed, the Doctor would no doubt find some mischief soon enough.
Outside the cargo deck, the Doctor leaned against the handrail and looked out to sea. "This can't be right. Why are we here…" he muttered, and then turned around as Jamie and Zoe also came onto the deck, shutting the door behind them.
"Ha, you see I was right. We're at sea. Probably the Pacific Ocean," he said cheerfully. He then turned to look at a life preserver affixed to the hull. "Look at this. The HMS Connolly. And looking at what we could see of the ship, I'd say where in the early twentieth century. Now if I can just…"
He was cut off by a shout from above them. "Hey! Who are you?" It was one of the crew.
"Oh dear," muttered the Doctor. "He probably thinks were stowaways. Let's get back to the TARDIS." All three ran for the cargo deck door. Zoe immediately tried to open it, but failed.
"Doctor, it's locked! I can't open it!" she cried as she tried again. All of them looked around as a loud horn sounded.
"He'll have alerted the crew," the Doctor said. "Let's get out of here. This way." He then ran off down the deck. Jamie and Zoe had no choice but to follow.
Captain Lewis had come out of his cabin, and was now pacing the bridge, muttering something. The crew had forgotten their weariness and paid double attention to their station, realising that the Captain was in one of his dangerous moods.
Maxwell hurried onto the bridge. "Sir, Petty Officer Jensen reports the presence of three stowaways."
The Captain frowned. "Stowaways? Commander, we have been at sea now for nearly nine months. I would like to known how one stowaway could survive aboard a vessel for that long, not to mention three. And I also fail to realise why they have not been detected before now."
Maxwell shook his head in desperation. "I don't know sir, but -"
The Captain looked hard at Maxwell. "But what, Commander. I don't think I need to point out the obvious to you. They must have someone helping them aboard the ship. One of the crew. First find the stowaways, and then find who was helping them."
"Aye sir," Maxwell said hurriedly. He then ran off, barking orders to find the stowaways. The Captain stared at his cabin for a few seconds, before turning to Lieutenant Perkins.
"Lieutenant. I will be in my cabin for the next few hours, mind the Bridge."
Perkins nodded sharply. "Aye aye, sir."
The Captain closed the door behind him, and then locked it. He then headed straight for the map on the far wall. He looked over it, and then pressed his finger to a specific place on the map. The whole wall turned slowly around, with a soft 'whirring' sound. The Captain took his hat off and threw it onto the bed in the corner. The wall had now completely turned. On it was a stone pedestal, supporting a large stone bust of a monk-like figure, the face obscured by stone folds of his cowl. The Captain looked at it stoically.
"Did you send these strangers? Why do you trouble me now?" he said. "I've already got enough troubles." He waited patiently for the statue to answer.
The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe were in trouble. They could all hear the sounds of pursuit behind them, accompanied with shouts of 'They're down here," or "Over here!" Now, they had reached a dead end.
"What now, Doctor?" asked Jamie, confident of the Doctor's ability to find a solution.
"Well, since none of us have the ability to walk through solid matter, I suggest the best course of action is to give ourselves up," said the Doctor, still infuriatingly cheerful.
"Doctor," said Zoe. "What did the mariners do to stowaways in this time?"
"Well, it all rather depends on -" He broke off, as he saw something. A boy's face in a grille, opening to a small tunnel in the right-hand wall. He was waving at them, gesturing at them to come inside.
The Doctor decided fast. "Come on, in you go." He held up the grille as first Jamie, then Zoe squeezed in after the boy. As he too entered, he muttered "Oh, crumbs, I really should exercise more," as he closed the grille behind him and crawled along after Jamie, Zoe and the boy.
The crew raced up to where the Doctor and his companions had been standing seconds before. "Where did they go?" wondered one.
"They must have jumped overboard," guessed another.
The Doctor sighed, and mopped his face with a polka-dotted handkerchief. "Oh dear, I'm really not cut out for that sort of thing. Thank you, my young sir."
The boy gave a half-smile. "No problem. Anything to bother those clowns."
The Doctor smiled. He looked around their new location. It was a small storage area he guessed, that was probably unused by the crew, but instead by this little boy.
"I'm the Doctor, and these are my friends Zoe and Jamie," he introduced.
Without a hint of shyness, he shook all their hands and then introduced himself as Simon.
"This is my place. I hideout here. Those clowns don't even known about this place," he explained. "Mind you, they got enough on their plates I suppose."
"Why," asked the Doctor. "What is happening on this ship?"
"Don't you know?" asked the boy incredulously. "It's them you see. They found us about a year ago, s'far as I can remember. They keep us here."
"Who?" asked Zoe. "Who keeps you here? The crew?"
The boy laughed. "No, no. They're stuck here as well. I used to be the cabin boy, you see. Used to help out Max and everyone. Sometimes Sharkey let me cook. Nah, they don't keep us here. Anyway, why were they chasing you?"
"Well," said the Doctor, "they think we're stowaways. We're not, of course," the Doctor hurriedly added.
"How'd you get 'ere then? I've never seen you before," said the boy.
"Well, it would take quite a bit of explaining. But, right now, I'm more interested about things here. Who were you talking about just now?" The Doctor spoke gently, but his face looked slightly worried.
The boy looked at him steadily, then at Jamie and Zoe. "Would you like some food?" he asked. "I can get you something if you want."
The Doctor started to ask again, but he decided against it. "Yes please, Simon, that would be splendid."
The boy smiled, and with practised ease, opened the grille, and crawled out into the little tunnel. Zoe immediately turned to the Doctor. "What was all that about?"
"Aye, he were like no little lad I've ever seen," added Jamie.
"I'm not sure," said the Doctor, a frown creasing his usually cheerful face. "I'm not sure. But something is happening on this ship. Something directly related to him." He brooded for a few seconds, then leapt up. "Alright. Jamie, put your ear to the door, see if you can hear anything."
Jamie nodded and did as he was bidden. "I can't hear a thing."
"Right," nodded the Doctor. "Go outside Jamie, and stand guard. If you hear anything, or see anything, let us know."
Jamie opened the door. "Will do, Doctor." He then stationed himself outside the door, looking both ways down the small corridor. He was confident that on these metal floors, he would hear anything coming before he saw it.
"Now, Zoe, I want you to open up some of these crates. Look for anything unusual," asked the Doctor.
"What do you mean, unusual?" asked Zoe.
"Anything anachronistic, out of place, alien, unusual," said the Doctor.
Zoe nodded, and started to open the first box. "Meanwhile, what are you going to do?"
"I, my dear," he declared, "am going to sit here, and think." With that, he sat down on a crate and lapsed into a brooding silence.
Maxwell, panting slightly from the chase around the ship, strode up to Lieutenant Perkins. "Any sign of the stowaways, Lieutenant?"
"Sorry, sir. We reckoned we cornered 'em up on C Deck, but they gave us the slip. Must've jumped overboard," reported Perkins.
"Damn," muttered Maxwell. "The Captain's not going to be pleased. I think he had a special interest in these -"
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound came from the Captain's cabin, along with a low scream and a dull thud. Maxwell and Perkins immediately raced up the stairs to the cabin. A faint glow was coming from under the door. Maxwell pounded his fist on the entrance. "Captain? Are you all right? Perkins, get the key," he ordered when there was no response.
Perkins soon came running back with the key, and handed it to Maxwell. He pushed the key into the lock. He pulled out his sidearm, and nodded at Perkins to do the same. With one motion, Maxwell turned to key and slammed the door open.
Perkins and Maxwell staggered into the room, arms over the eyes, blinded by the incredible light in the room. But, as if sensing their presence, the light faded, leaving the crumpled form of Captain Lewis. He appeared to be unconscious, but his mouth was opening and closing, as if he was silently speaking. Once Maxwell had recovered himself, he bent over the prostrate form, and felt for a pulse. Suddenly, the Captain awoke, and jumped away.
"It's alright, Captain," Maxwell said hurriedly as the Captain reached for his gun. The Captain then seemed to regain control of himself and, taking a deep breath, stood up. He straightened his clothing, and tried to regain what little dignity remained him.
"Commander Maxwell. Please report to Corridor C9, I believe you will find the object of your search there," he said quietly. "Immediately, please," he snapped, and Maxwell gave a salute and marched briskly outside.
The Captain stared at the door for a while. Then, he turned to face the statue. But, the wall had swung around again, and the only thing there was the large map. The Captain frowned. He didn't remember reversing the wall.
Jamie stifled a yawn, and took another look down the corridors. He still couldn't hear anything. He wondered why the Doctor had posted him out here. Surely it was safer out of sight. He looked around his surroundings. Pretty plain. Metal walls, metal floors, and a little plate next to the door where the Doctor and Zoe where. Jamie studied it.
CORRIDOR C-NINE
Suddenly, three men appeared round the corner. Jamie was still studying the sign, when they jumped him. Even taken off guard, Jamie's highlander instincts kicked in immediately, and he threw the first two men off him, and the tackled the third. But, two more came up and pinned him to the wall. Another came up to him, pistol brandished, and smashed it into Jamie's face. He went limp, blood on his face. The man then looked around. "There should be two others. Search everywhere," he ordered, and the men hurried off. Jensen was about to leave himself, when he noticed the door. He looked at it, and then struggled to open it.
The Doctor looked up charily. "What is it, Doctor," asked Zoe, still opening crates. The Doctor help up a silencing hand. Zoe listened, and then heard the unmistakable sound of a struggle. "Jamie!" cried Zoe, and ran to the door.
"No," said the Doctor. "We won't be able to help him. By the sounds of it there are too many of them."
"But what if they kill him," asked Zoe.
"I doubt it. They'll probably want him to help find us. They'll search in here in a minute. I suggest we vacate the premises. Come along," he said, preparing to help her into the tunnel. Taking one last anguished look at the door, she took the helping hand and crawled down the tunnel. As the Doctor prepared to follow her, he heard a sharp crack, and the sounds of struggle ceased.
"Oh, Jamie," he muttered. "Do be careful." He then climbed into the tunnel, closing the grille behind him.
A few seconds later, Jensen entered the room, having found the keys for it in a nearby office. He looked about, and noticed the open crates and boxes, and then left to report.
When Jamie woke up, he was still being held by two of the crew. But then, he was dropped to the ground. Panting and heaving, he tried to look up. He could see an older man, wearing an important looking hat. He held out his hand to help him up. Jamie took it, and staggered to his feet, clutching his head.
"Welcome to the HMS Connolly, laddie," he said. "I'm Captain Lewis. What's your name?"
Jamie hesitated before answering. "Jamie McCrimmon."
The Captain started pacing about the bridge. "This is a good ship. Disciplined. We don't take kindly to stowaways. They disrupt the status quo. Bring order to chaos. They don't fit in anywhere. Commander Maxwell, take him to the lower decks."
Maxwell hesitated. "But sir, surely-"
"I don't want any arguments, Commander. I have given you your orders, and I expect you to carry them out."
"Aye, sir," said the Commander quietly. "Come on, you," he said, dragging a confused Jamie behind him.
"Hey, what's going on? Where are you taking me..."
The Doctor and Zoe clambered out of the tunnels, and while they both caught their breath, they considered their next move.
"Well, they'll probably bring before the Captain or some such authority," said the Doctor. "So I'd say the best plan is to -"
"Keep quiet!" hissed a small voice from behind them. The Doctor and Zoe both whirled around to find Simon behind them. "The Captain's put people everywhere, they're probably..."
Simon's voice trailed off. He was staring past the Doctor, his eyes glazed over. Zoe looked where the boy was gazing, but saw nothing.
Suddenly the boy gasped. "Oh, no. They've sent him there. To the lower decks. That's where they are! Don't you understand! They'll kill him!
Twilight I: Stormy Waters
by Liam McNicholas
The Captain was in a bad mood.
That, in itself, was not unusual. The Captain would often lock himself away in he cabin for days, never to be seen or heard. But First Officer Brendon Maxwell knew that wasn't his usual type of depression. Usually, he would just stand on the deck, with his hands clasped behind him, looking out into the ever-calm sea. His eyes seemed to be trying to see behind the waves and the foam and the clear blue sky that stretched out in every direction.
"First Officer Maxwell." It was the Captain's voice. It was too calm for Maxwell's liking, giving the impression that he was sure of himself, certain that he was in charge of what was happening to the HMS Connolly. Maxwell stared into the Captain's eyes. They were a piercing gray. On most days, Maxwell could easily read what was going on in his mind, the feeling that the he was slowly losing his grip on his life, and the slight touch of panic and fear had started to creep into them recently. But now he couldn't read much. Just something new, something he couldn't lay his finger on. A slight sense of awe, or maybe not. "Please come into my cabin. I would like to discuss something with you."
"Of course, Captain," replied Maxwell. He took one look over the Bridge. Men manned their stations, but they didn't look fixed on their task. Their eyes had glazed over, for too long of sitting exactly as they were now. Too long.
"Look sharp, men. This ship has a good name, let's not spoil it now," he shouted. At the beginning, he had believed those words, felt them, and used them to strengthen him. But now, they sounded hollow, meaningless. He watched with a slight feeling of despair as they made a small effort to straighten themselves, a couple of them muttering "aye".
Maxwell then walked over to the Captain's cabin. He hadn't been in here very often, only the couple of times he had delivered a report. Not that there was any need for reports in this godforsaken place. The room was pretty large, by ships cabin standards. However, he had the distinct impression that the Captain had made a deliberate effort to make the place seem as small and cramped as possible. To anyone who hadn't spent a year at sea with this man, it might seem untidy, a mess and jumble of unassociated bric-a-brac and paraphernalia. But Maxwell knew that every object in this room gave a piece of the puzzle of Captain Lewis.
Maxwell also knew what was the Captain's favourite object in the room. It was a large map, pinned up on the far wall, covering nearly all of it. It was one of those ancient ones, from before the whole world was charted. The Captain stood before it right now, looking intently at it, as if for the first time. Maxwell had the feeling that the map was the centerpiece of the whole room, that everything else had been placed around it.
The only piece of furniture in the room was a low bed, coming out from the left-hand wall. Everything else had been removed, on his orders, all chairs, tables and other pieces of furniture.
"Look at it, Commander," the Captain said softly. "From a time when people believed that everything they did was orchestrated by the Gods, who would either punish them or reward them. Of course, we know better now, don't we." He suddenly looked at Maxwell, and the commander felt shivers run up his spine. But the Captain then looked back at his map. "Do you know where we are on this map, Commander?"
Maxwell made a show of looking over the faded map. "No, sir."
"Of course not," the Captain snapped, a sharp note coming into his voice. "Of course you don't know. You know why? We aren't on it. We're not on any map. We're nowhere!"
Maxwell started to feel nervous. "Captain, maybe I should -"
"I've spoken to them you know. A couple of times. They come to me sometimes, when I ask them to. They don't like us, Maxwell." Desperation, and panic, where now clear in his voice. "Don't you realize? They don't like us!"
Suddenly, the Captain closed his eyes, and breathed deeply. He turned back to face the map. "Thank you for your time, Commander Maxwell," he said, as if nothing had happened.
Maxwell mumbled something and hurried out. Once outside, he breathed heavily. Something had happened to their captain. What had he been babbling about? Who where they?
Maxwell decided to forget it for now, and get on with his job. As he calmly descended onto the bridge, he could swear he heard a low groaning sound, louder and then softer, louder and then softer. He turned to look in its direction, but the noise had stopped. Probably engine noise, he thought, and then turned his mind to running a ship stuck out at sea with an insane captain…
Jamie insisted on being the first one to leave the TARDIS. Usually it was the Doctor who rushed outside, regardless of the risk and danger most likely to waiting around the corner. However, his fears proved to unfounded. As far as he could tell, he was in a place where people stored things. Lots of crates and packages were about, and the TARDIS itself was nestled in between two such crates.
The Doctor then came out himself, in his usual cheerful mood. "Satisfied, Jamie? Come along, my dear," he said to the third person to leave the TARDIS. Her name was Zoe Heriot, and she came for a space station in Earth's future.
"Where do you think we are now, Doctor?" She asked. After having a look around, she said. "I think we're in the past. These crates and everything look pretty primitive."
"Well, I'd say were on a ship at sea," said the Doctor with no hesitation.
Jamie had to agree with him. "Aye, I can taste the sea air."
"Anyway," continued the Doctor, "it appears to be safe enough. I must confess, I've always had a soft spot for the sea…" he said as he wandered off.
"I suppose we better follow him, Jamie," Zoe said, "before he gets into trouble." Jamie agreed. No matter how peaceful everything seemed, the Doctor would no doubt find some mischief soon enough.
Outside the cargo deck, the Doctor leaned against the handrail and looked out to sea. "This can't be right. Why are we here…" he muttered, and then turned around as Jamie and Zoe also came onto the deck, shutting the door behind them.
"Ha, you see I was right. We're at sea. Probably the Pacific Ocean," he said cheerfully. He then turned to look at a life preserver affixed to the hull. "Look at this. The HMS Connolly. And looking at what we could see of the ship, I'd say where in the early twentieth century. Now if I can just…"
He was cut off by a shout from above them. "Hey! Who are you?" It was one of the crew.
"Oh dear," muttered the Doctor. "He probably thinks were stowaways. Let's get back to the TARDIS." All three ran for the cargo deck door. Zoe immediately tried to open it, but failed.
"Doctor, it's locked! I can't open it!" she cried as she tried again. All of them looked around as a loud horn sounded.
"He'll have alerted the crew," the Doctor said. "Let's get out of here. This way." He then ran off down the deck. Jamie and Zoe had no choice but to follow.
Captain Lewis had come out of his cabin, and was now pacing the bridge, muttering something. The crew had forgotten their weariness and paid double attention to their station, realising that the Captain was in one of his dangerous moods.
Maxwell hurried onto the bridge. "Sir, Petty Officer Jensen reports the presence of three stowaways."
The Captain frowned. "Stowaways? Commander, we have been at sea now for nearly nine months. I would like to known how one stowaway could survive aboard a vessel for that long, not to mention three. And I also fail to realise why they have not been detected before now."
Maxwell shook his head in desperation. "I don't know sir, but -"
The Captain looked hard at Maxwell. "But what, Commander. I don't think I need to point out the obvious to you. They must have someone helping them aboard the ship. One of the crew. First find the stowaways, and then find who was helping them."
"Aye sir," Maxwell said hurriedly. He then ran off, barking orders to find the stowaways. The Captain stared at his cabin for a few seconds, before turning to Lieutenant Perkins.
"Lieutenant. I will be in my cabin for the next few hours, mind the Bridge."
Perkins nodded sharply. "Aye aye, sir."
The Captain closed the door behind him, and then locked it. He then headed straight for the map on the far wall. He looked over it, and then pressed his finger to a specific place on the map. The whole wall turned slowly around, with a soft 'whirring' sound. The Captain took his hat off and threw it onto the bed in the corner. The wall had now completely turned. On it was a stone pedestal, supporting a large stone bust of a monk-like figure, the face obscured by stone folds of his cowl. The Captain looked at it stoically.
"Did you send these strangers? Why do you trouble me now?" he said. "I've already got enough troubles." He waited patiently for the statue to answer.
The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe were in trouble. They could all hear the sounds of pursuit behind them, accompanied with shouts of 'They're down here," or "Over here!" Now, they had reached a dead end.
"What now, Doctor?" asked Jamie, confident of the Doctor's ability to find a solution.
"Well, since none of us have the ability to walk through solid matter, I suggest the best course of action is to give ourselves up," said the Doctor, still infuriatingly cheerful.
"Doctor," said Zoe. "What did the mariners do to stowaways in this time?"
"Well, it all rather depends on -" He broke off, as he saw something. A boy's face in a grille, opening to a small tunnel in the right-hand wall. He was waving at them, gesturing at them to come inside.
The Doctor decided fast. "Come on, in you go." He held up the grille as first Jamie, then Zoe squeezed in after the boy. As he too entered, he muttered "Oh, crumbs, I really should exercise more," as he closed the grille behind him and crawled along after Jamie, Zoe and the boy.
The crew raced up to where the Doctor and his companions had been standing seconds before. "Where did they go?" wondered one.
"They must have jumped overboard," guessed another.
The Doctor sighed, and mopped his face with a polka-dotted handkerchief. "Oh dear, I'm really not cut out for that sort of thing. Thank you, my young sir."
The boy gave a half-smile. "No problem. Anything to bother those clowns."
The Doctor smiled. He looked around their new location. It was a small storage area he guessed, that was probably unused by the crew, but instead by this little boy.
"I'm the Doctor, and these are my friends Zoe and Jamie," he introduced.
Without a hint of shyness, he shook all their hands and then introduced himself as Simon.
"This is my place. I hideout here. Those clowns don't even known about this place," he explained. "Mind you, they got enough on their plates I suppose."
"Why," asked the Doctor. "What is happening on this ship?"
"Don't you know?" asked the boy incredulously. "It's them you see. They found us about a year ago, s'far as I can remember. They keep us here."
"Who?" asked Zoe. "Who keeps you here? The crew?"
The boy laughed. "No, no. They're stuck here as well. I used to be the cabin boy, you see. Used to help out Max and everyone. Sometimes Sharkey let me cook. Nah, they don't keep us here. Anyway, why were they chasing you?"
"Well," said the Doctor, "they think we're stowaways. We're not, of course," the Doctor hurriedly added.
"How'd you get 'ere then? I've never seen you before," said the boy.
"Well, it would take quite a bit of explaining. But, right now, I'm more interested about things here. Who were you talking about just now?" The Doctor spoke gently, but his face looked slightly worried.
The boy looked at him steadily, then at Jamie and Zoe. "Would you like some food?" he asked. "I can get you something if you want."
The Doctor started to ask again, but he decided against it. "Yes please, Simon, that would be splendid."
The boy smiled, and with practised ease, opened the grille, and crawled out into the little tunnel. Zoe immediately turned to the Doctor. "What was all that about?"
"Aye, he were like no little lad I've ever seen," added Jamie.
"I'm not sure," said the Doctor, a frown creasing his usually cheerful face. "I'm not sure. But something is happening on this ship. Something directly related to him." He brooded for a few seconds, then leapt up. "Alright. Jamie, put your ear to the door, see if you can hear anything."
Jamie nodded and did as he was bidden. "I can't hear a thing."
"Right," nodded the Doctor. "Go outside Jamie, and stand guard. If you hear anything, or see anything, let us know."
Jamie opened the door. "Will do, Doctor." He then stationed himself outside the door, looking both ways down the small corridor. He was confident that on these metal floors, he would hear anything coming before he saw it.
"Now, Zoe, I want you to open up some of these crates. Look for anything unusual," asked the Doctor.
"What do you mean, unusual?" asked Zoe.
"Anything anachronistic, out of place, alien, unusual," said the Doctor.
Zoe nodded, and started to open the first box. "Meanwhile, what are you going to do?"
"I, my dear," he declared, "am going to sit here, and think." With that, he sat down on a crate and lapsed into a brooding silence.
Maxwell, panting slightly from the chase around the ship, strode up to Lieutenant Perkins. "Any sign of the stowaways, Lieutenant?"
"Sorry, sir. We reckoned we cornered 'em up on C Deck, but they gave us the slip. Must've jumped overboard," reported Perkins.
"Damn," muttered Maxwell. "The Captain's not going to be pleased. I think he had a special interest in these -"
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound came from the Captain's cabin, along with a low scream and a dull thud. Maxwell and Perkins immediately raced up the stairs to the cabin. A faint glow was coming from under the door. Maxwell pounded his fist on the entrance. "Captain? Are you all right? Perkins, get the key," he ordered when there was no response.
Perkins soon came running back with the key, and handed it to Maxwell. He pushed the key into the lock. He pulled out his sidearm, and nodded at Perkins to do the same. With one motion, Maxwell turned to key and slammed the door open.
Perkins and Maxwell staggered into the room, arms over the eyes, blinded by the incredible light in the room. But, as if sensing their presence, the light faded, leaving the crumpled form of Captain Lewis. He appeared to be unconscious, but his mouth was opening and closing, as if he was silently speaking. Once Maxwell had recovered himself, he bent over the prostrate form, and felt for a pulse. Suddenly, the Captain awoke, and jumped away.
"It's alright, Captain," Maxwell said hurriedly as the Captain reached for his gun. The Captain then seemed to regain control of himself and, taking a deep breath, stood up. He straightened his clothing, and tried to regain what little dignity remained him.
"Commander Maxwell. Please report to Corridor C9, I believe you will find the object of your search there," he said quietly. "Immediately, please," he snapped, and Maxwell gave a salute and marched briskly outside.
The Captain stared at the door for a while. Then, he turned to face the statue. But, the wall had swung around again, and the only thing there was the large map. The Captain frowned. He didn't remember reversing the wall.
Jamie stifled a yawn, and took another look down the corridors. He still couldn't hear anything. He wondered why the Doctor had posted him out here. Surely it was safer out of sight. He looked around his surroundings. Pretty plain. Metal walls, metal floors, and a little plate next to the door where the Doctor and Zoe where. Jamie studied it.
CORRIDOR C-NINE
Suddenly, three men appeared round the corner. Jamie was still studying the sign, when they jumped him. Even taken off guard, Jamie's highlander instincts kicked in immediately, and he threw the first two men off him, and the tackled the third. But, two more came up and pinned him to the wall. Another came up to him, pistol brandished, and smashed it into Jamie's face. He went limp, blood on his face. The man then looked around. "There should be two others. Search everywhere," he ordered, and the men hurried off. Jensen was about to leave himself, when he noticed the door. He looked at it, and then struggled to open it.
The Doctor looked up charily. "What is it, Doctor," asked Zoe, still opening crates. The Doctor help up a silencing hand. Zoe listened, and then heard the unmistakable sound of a struggle. "Jamie!" cried Zoe, and ran to the door.
"No," said the Doctor. "We won't be able to help him. By the sounds of it there are too many of them."
"But what if they kill him," asked Zoe.
"I doubt it. They'll probably want him to help find us. They'll search in here in a minute. I suggest we vacate the premises. Come along," he said, preparing to help her into the tunnel. Taking one last anguished look at the door, she took the helping hand and crawled down the tunnel. As the Doctor prepared to follow her, he heard a sharp crack, and the sounds of struggle ceased.
"Oh, Jamie," he muttered. "Do be careful." He then climbed into the tunnel, closing the grille behind him.
A few seconds later, Jensen entered the room, having found the keys for it in a nearby office. He looked about, and noticed the open crates and boxes, and then left to report.
When Jamie woke up, he was still being held by two of the crew. But then, he was dropped to the ground. Panting and heaving, he tried to look up. He could see an older man, wearing an important looking hat. He held out his hand to help him up. Jamie took it, and staggered to his feet, clutching his head.
"Welcome to the HMS Connolly, laddie," he said. "I'm Captain Lewis. What's your name?"
Jamie hesitated before answering. "Jamie McCrimmon."
The Captain started pacing about the bridge. "This is a good ship. Disciplined. We don't take kindly to stowaways. They disrupt the status quo. Bring order to chaos. They don't fit in anywhere. Commander Maxwell, take him to the lower decks."
Maxwell hesitated. "But sir, surely-"
"I don't want any arguments, Commander. I have given you your orders, and I expect you to carry them out."
"Aye, sir," said the Commander quietly. "Come on, you," he said, dragging a confused Jamie behind him.
"Hey, what's going on? Where are you taking me..."
The Doctor and Zoe clambered out of the tunnels, and while they both caught their breath, they considered their next move.
"Well, they'll probably bring before the Captain or some such authority," said the Doctor. "So I'd say the best plan is to -"
"Keep quiet!" hissed a small voice from behind them. The Doctor and Zoe both whirled around to find Simon behind them. "The Captain's put people everywhere, they're probably..."
Simon's voice trailed off. He was staring past the Doctor, his eyes glazed over. Zoe looked where the boy was gazing, but saw nothing.
Suddenly the boy gasped. "Oh, no. They've sent him there. To the lower decks. That's where they are! Don't you understand! They'll kill him!