Chapter 11: Bigger on the Inside
They laid on their backs side by side looking up at the stars until a hazy brightness in the sky announced the imminent sunrise. As the sun came up it bathed the world in brilliant colours. Nova was awed by the sight of the swaying mountains against a sky of gold, pink and purple.
"Wow" she breathed.
"If you like this you should see the triple sunrise on Casjgur. Longest sunrise in the universe. Like a relay race only with suns instead of runners. Lovely place, Casjgur, about 7 galaxies along, just have to watch out for the mice, they consider spaceships a delicacy, in fact, the TARDIS refuses to land on the surface anymore… talking of the TARDIS I think it's about time we headed back, come along Nova." The Doctor said, bounding to his feet and holding out a hand to help Nova up.
Nova couldn't help but feel a mix of trepidation and excitement as she began to follow The Doctor. This was it; rationally she knew there was no way back, that her old life was already gone but it was still hard to accept. Leaving their little spot by the lake meant that Nova had to finally face this truth. This was where her new life began.
All too soon she found herself in front of the tall blue police box, like the man beside her, no longer a dream but real. Slowly, tentatively, she lay her palm against the familiar door, feeling smooth paint, over solid wood.
"She's really alive?" Nova questioned, she knew this from the dreams but wanted to know more, how was the ship alive, could she talk to it, did it think and feel? Curiosity was starting to overtake her apprehension.
"Yes" the Doctor confirmed, "but, not alive, like we're alive; more so really. An eleventh dimensional being is alive in ways that we can't be, experiences the universe in a completely different way to even a Time Lord."
"She's telepathic? That's why I blacked out, before?"
"That's right, her telepathic circuits tried to interface with you but it was a little too much for you all in one go. Now though, you've have had some practice using your telepathic centre, so it shouldn't be so overwhelming." The Doctor explained gently. "Once I stop blocking the connection you'll be able to feel her in your mind, it will be a little like how you can feel my telepathic presence. Nothing to worry about. Promise."
Nova was about to ask another question when the Doctor produced a key and placed it in the lock.
"So, are you ready to meet her properly?" he asked opening the door and standing like a doorman at a fancy hotel waiting for Nova to enter. She could see the familiar, yet utterly impossible interior through the open door. Captivated by the sight Nova took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The moment she walked on board there was an initial rush of data in her mind which she took to be the TARDIS's greeting, and although less overwhelming this time, it still made her gasp slightly. There was a gentle, almost apologetic undertone to the greeting. She stood with her hand on the railing by the door adjusting to the peculiar sensation. Similar, yet different to the mental connection she had shared with her father, not thought as such, more a mass of mathematical information beyond Nova's current understanding undercut by sensations and the occasional image.
She closed her eyes and breathed in. The scent was also familiar and yet it felt like it belonged to a time so long ago. In the ship's mental signature Nova could feel a glimpse of the wisdom, the power the TARDIS held; a vessel that harnessed time itself, it should have been frightening, but Nova just felt safe. At once, she realized this new mental presence wasn't new at all, it was warm and familiar. She'd felt this before, of course; this ship had been her home when she was a baby, she'd be born here.
"Hello" Nova whispered, haltingly sending the mental equivalent in reply to the ship's greeting.
"I've never felt her so… I do believe, the TARDIS is happy." The Doctor marvelled. "Or at least as close to happy as it's possible for a sentient time ship to experience."
Nova jumped a little at the Doctor's voice having been too lost in the feel of the TARDIS to realize that he had closed the door behind them and now stood watching her with a mix of barely contained joy, nervous energy and more than a hint of lingering disbelief.
"Welcome home Nova." He beamed, opening his arms to gesture at the ship and waiting for her to say something.
Home, this was her home, from now on, it was incomprehensible yet Nova was too wrapped up in listening to the TARDIS to think about that. "She's beautiful" Nova smiled walking further in. "Even better than in the dreams and I can hear her!" She added stroking the edge of the console. The TARDIS hummed in appreciation both in her head and out loud.
"Yes, yes she is beautiful, a beautiful blue box, on the outside anyway, the inside however…" The Doctor trailed off curiously watching Nova, as if waiting for something.
"The inside is in a different dimension to the outside? Like a big box being further away, so it can fit into a small box?" Nova grinned, remembering a particular explanation he had once given to a companion, in one of her dreams. "You said that once."
"Yes! Exactly. Oh you clever girl!" He said pointing at her excitedly. "Ha! I knew that was a good explanation." He said smugly, straightening his bowtie as he approached the console, "defiantly not silly." Then without warning he began manically running around the controls, flipping switches, setting dials, and pushing buttons. "And, so" he said with a grin, "Off we go!" The TARDIS shook as it entered the Vortex causing Nova to hold on to the rails with a nervous laugh and the Doctor grinned fondly at her.
"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly.
"Sorry?" Nova said tearing her eyes off the moving time rotor.
"I thought you might be hungry?"
"Yeah, yes I am." Nova realised.
"Right! Breakfast, what do you fancy? Croissants in Paris, 1902? Or the Zaggit Zagoo tea shop on Zog, unfortunate name for a planet, that, but the foods not bad. Oh! I know. There's this lovely little place in New Amsterdam on New Earth. Best. Pancakes. Ever."
"Could we just stay here for a little while, actually?" Nova asked nervously, feeling a little guilty when the Doctor was so excited but she wasn't sure she was ready to step out those doors and into the unknown, just yet.
"Of course." The Doctor nearly slapped himself for not noticing earlier how overwhelmed she was. Even a young Time Lady would need time to adjust, after spending so long, as a human. Planets, alien species, the universe, it could all wait for her to come to terms with her new existence and the unavoidable obliteration of her old life.
"Of course, Nova, we don't have to go anywhere just yet," he said kindly, "I know, I'll make breakfast in the kitchen! It'll be great! Of course it could be lunch or dinner if you prefer…"
After pressing a few buttons on the console to set the TARDIS to safely drift, the Doctor led Nova up a staircase into the ship, they passed numerous side corridors that seemed to go on as far as Nova could see. Nova tried to keep track of the number of lefts and rights they took before stopping in front of a door.
"Here we are." The Doctor announced.
The room looked a little like a very large family kitchen but was styled to fit with the look of the console room and corridors. It also contained a number of appliances Nova had never seen before. There was a large vintage looking table in the middle of the room and in one corner a sleek hexagonal breakfast bar with high stools. Which the Doctor led her towards.
"So what would you like?" he asked. Rubbing his hands together.
"Um, just toast and jam, please." It may have been highly unadventurous but Nova didn't feel up for anything exotic at that moment. She just wanted something normal, simple and comforting.
"Jam and toast! Excellent idea, let's see…" the Doctor set about retrieving everything he needed and placing four slices of bread into one of the futuristic appliances he pressed the button on the front and then immediately pulled out the perfectly toasted slices, placing them on two blue and white striped plates and pushing one plate towards Nova. "How about a cup of tea?" He added.
"Tea would be nice" Nova agreed, thinking how it was meant to be good for shock, at least Aunt Ceri had always said so. She tried to distract herself from that thought by looking through the wide assortment of jams and marmalades The Doctor had found. Meanwhile he put a modern looking kettle on and selected a box of real tea leaves that was marked with what Nova thought was the East India Trading Company logo.
It wasn't long before Nova was struck by another quirk of her new biology. At the first bite of mixed berry jam on toast Nova was surprised to experience an absolute explosion of taste. It wasn't that the food tasted differently, she realized, no, the food was the same. It was just she could taste everything more acutely. She could tell the jam was made up of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries with surprisingly a couple of blueberries, a fair amount of sugar and a hint of lemon.
She was reminded of one of her Aunt's favourite TV programs Master Chef, one of the tasks the contestants were asked to complete was a palate test, where they had to taste a complicated dish and identify as many ingredients as they could in order to recreate it. Nova chuckled at the thought that with a little practice she might just be able to ace that now. Well apart from the cooking bit, Aunt Ceri had despaired of her limited culinary skills. And with that she sobered up again feeling guilty for laughing so soon after losing her aunt.
Of course the Doctor wanted to know what was funny about jam and toast, which Nova then had to explain. Finding that talking to the Doctor about Aunt Ceri actually made her feel better just as it had by the bonfire. After that it wasn't long before Nova and the Doctor were playing their own game of guess the ingredients. Raiding the shelves and bigger on the inside fridge in the search for interesting foods to try.
"It's not fair if it's from a planet I've never been to" Nova huffed good naturedly, after having been stumped by something that had tasted similar to beef stew but turned out to be made of a fruit from Clom.
"We could go there, when you're ready, that is, there's no rush. There's so much out there to explore, Nova and it will all be new to you. For now though how about a tour of the TARDIS?" he suggested jumping to his feet with a twirl. "Although I have to warn you she does like to move things around occasionally but I'm sure she won't let you get lost."
"Well, I'm still wearing my pyjamas…" Nova began, wanting to at least get dressed before wandering through the endless corridors she had glimpsed. Then suddenly she was hit by the realisation that every possession she had owned apart from the pyjamas she was wearing were now gone. Compared to the loss of family and friends and everything that had happened, worrying over stuff, seemed trivial but now the fact that she had no money, no clothes, absolutely nothing, finally hit home.
"Oh, sorry, yes, right, there's plenty of clothes in the wardrobe room, you should find something you like. This way." Seemingly oblivious to Nova's new anxiety the Doctor cheerfully set off from the kitchen, leading Nova through the TARDIS corridors again. "There'll be a new room for you too, now." He said with a smile, "The TARDIS loves making new rooms; I'm sure she's got one for you already, it'll turn up somewhere."
A/N I'm back! Sorry to leave you all hanging. So what do you think of Nova's reaction to the TARDIS? Yeah, she couldn't really say 'it' because she is already familiar with the ship, so I threw a classic reference in there instead, hope that worked.