Stupid computer not working and then my wisdom teeth decide that it's a good time to join the party… *exhale* I'm fine…here is the next chapter. Enjoy! I do not own Doctor Who, only my OC, Krystal Lake. Haven't said that in a while.
This can't be happening!
That's all I thought. I looked around, nobody noticed me since I appeared in the back of the shuttle. At least that's a perk. Alright, Midnight. Should I try to save the Doctor from whatever the thing is, or should I let it happen? Should I run or let it be, is it like a beat or a melody. Should I take the shot or throw it away?
"Now's not the time to reference Hamilton!" A voice in my head scolded.
Is it ever a wrong time for Hamilton? I questioned back. No, I need to focus.
The hostess brought me out of my thoughts, "For your entertainment, we have the Music Channel playing retrovids of Earth classics." A screen dropped down with a female singer singing a tune. "Also, the latest artistic installation from Ludovico Klein." Art projected onto the walls. "Plus, for the youngsters, a rare treat. The Animation Archives." Betty Boop? Really? "Four hours of fun time. Enjoy."
She left everything on, leaving the noise level at maximum. Then, everything stopped and it became quiet. I smiled, knowing that it was the Doctor.
"Well, that's a mercy." I heard a man comment.
The hostess came back, trying to make the system work again. "I do apologise, ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon. We seem to had a failure of the Entertainment System."
"But what do we do?" I heard a woman ask.
"We've got four hours of this? Four hours of just sitting here?" Another asked. I took this as a cue to step in.
I popped my head up from the seat. "Well, looks like we'll have to talk to each other."
I looked at the Doctor and saw him smile widely. The hostess looked confused.
"I didn't see you come in, did I?" she asked confused.
"Yeah, I just… slipped in. I'm with him." I pointed to the Doctor, who took out the psychic paper to prove that I was. Luckily, she ask no more questions.
98 Kliks Later…
Everyone was gathered around Val and Biff, if I remembered correctly, listening to their story. The Doctor was sitting by them while I was by Jethro.
"So Biff said, I'm going swimming." Val started.
"Oh, I was all ready. Trunks and everything. Nose plug." Biff added.
"He had this little nose plug. You should have seen him."
"And I went marching up to the lifeguard. And he was a Shamboni. You know, those big foreheads?"
"Great big forehead."
"And I said, where's the pool? And he said…"
"The pool is abstract." They both say at the same time to finish the joke. Everyone burst out laughing, except for Jethro.
"It wasn't a real pool." Val continued.
"It was a concept."
"And you were wearing a nose plug?" the Doctor asked.
"I was like this." Biff plugged his nose. "Ooo, where's the pool?"
"Have you heard this before?" I asked Jethro, seeing him lip sync the punchline.
He nodded. "Too many to count, they always tell it." He sighed. "They are so embarrassing."
I chuckled, nodding, causing Jethro to smile.
"What about you?" he asked. "You said you were with him," he gestured to the Doctor as another story was being told. "So is he you dad?"
"Oh, no." I shook my head. "He's not, but you could say he's my guardian now. I haven't known him for too long though, so no stories yet."
150 Kliks Later…
The Doctor, Dee Dee, and I were all in the back getting drinks. Dee Dee was telling us more about herself.
"I'm just a second-year student, but I wrote a paper on the Lost Moon of Poosh, Professor Hobbes read it, liked it, took me on as researcher, just for the holidays. Well, I say researcher. Most of the time he's got me fetching and carrying." she said. "But it's all good experience." she quickly added on.
"And did they ever find it?" the Doctor asked.
"Find what?"
"The Lost Moon of Poosh."
Dee Dee laughed, smiling. "Oh, no. Not yet."
"Maybe that will be your great discovery. I can see it now. Dee Dee Blasco finds Lost Moon of Poosh." I said, waving my hand in the air for effect.
"Here's to Poosh." the Doctor said, holding up his cup.
"Poosh." Dee Dee repeated, as we all held our cup up to a toast.
209 Kliks Later...
I was sitting with Jethro eating as we were telling jokes and bonding. I was teaching him how to do origami with the napkins in the back since they were square shaped.
"...and that is how you make a crane." I said, holding the finished product and passing it to him. "Although, napkins are not the best material to use to make one."
"That is so cool." Jethro said, inspecting it closely.
I smiled. "Now you try. There are plenty of napkins, so don't worry if you make a mistake."
"Yeah, we might run out of napkins."
We looked at each other and laughed.
78 Napkins Later…
Professor Hobbes was presenting his research on Midnight as everyone listened closely. Jethro managed to make a few cranes, but we did run out of napkins.
"So, this is Midnight, do you see, bombarded by the sun. Xtonic rays, raw galvanic radiation. Dee Dee, next slide. It's my pet project. Actually, I'm the first person to research this. Because, you see, the history is fascinating. Because there is no history. There's no life in this entire system. There couldn't be. Before the Leisure Palace Company moved in, no one had come here in all eternity. No living thing." the Professor explained.
"But how do you know? I mean, if no one can go outside." Jethro asked.
"Oh, his imagination. Here we go." Val said, rolling her eyes.
"He's got a point, though." the Doctor said, defending Jethro, and Hobbes seemed to agree.
"Exactly. We look upon this world through glass, safe inside our metal box. Even the Leisure Palace was lowered down from orbit. And here we are now, crossing Midnight, but never touching it."
Then everything stopped, and there was beeping.
"We've stopped. Have we stopped?" Val asked, confused.
"Are we there?" Biff asked.
"We can't be, it's too soon." Dee Dee informed them.
"They don't stop. Crusader vehicles never stop." Hobbes said.
The hostess started to the back. "If you could just return to your seats. It's just a small delay." she goes on the phone.
"Maybe just a pit stop." Biff said, trying to be optimistic as everyone sat back down in their original spots, me going with the Doctor.
"There's no pit stops." Hobbes said to him. "I've been on this expedition fourteen times. They never stop."
"Well, evidently we have stopped, so there's no point in denying it." Sky said, stopping the argument from growing.
"We've broken down." Jethro said, looking at everyone.
"Thanks, Jethro." Val said sarcastically.
"In the middle of nowhere."
"That's enough. Now stop it." Biff commanded.
"Ladies and gentlemen, and variations thereupon." the hostess came back to the front. "We're just experiencing a short delay. The driver needs to stabilize the engine feeds. It's perfectly routine, so if you could just stay in your seats."
The Doctor then proceeded to do the exact opposite of what she said.
"No, I'm sorry, sir, I. Could you please?" she said, trying to stop him.
The Doctor showed her the psychic paper. "There you go. Engine expert. Two ticks."
"Doctor," I said, going up to him just before he could go in. "Get them out of there." I whispered in his ear, wanting to save them. Though, it would be weird if a teenage went in, so I stayed outside.
The Doctor nodded and went inside.
A few minutes passed in silence and the Doctor came back out.
"What did they say? Did they tell you? What is it? What's wrong?" Sky questioned as soon as he came out, having been waiting for him by the door.
"Oh, just stabilizing. Happens all the time." he answered.
"I don't need this. I'm on a schedule. This is completely unnecessary."
"Back to your seats, thank you." the hostess said, going into the cockpit as Sky and the Doctor sat down.
I tried to control my breathing as Dee Dee questioned the Doctor.
"Excuse me, Doctor, but they're micropetrol engines, aren't they?"
"Now, don't bother the man." Hobbes told her.
"My father was a mechanic. Micropetrol doesn't stabilize. What does stabilize mean?"
"Well. Bit of flim-flam. Don't worry, they're sorting it out." the Doctor reassured them.
"So it's not the engines?" Hobbes asked
"It's just a little pause, that's all."
"How much air have we got?"
"Professor, it's fine."
"What did he say?" Val asked, having overheard the conversation.
"Nothing." the Doctor said, bt was ignored.
"Are we running out of air?" Val asked as the hostess reappeared.
"I was just speculating." Hobbes defended himself.
"Is that right, miss? Are we running out of air?" Biff asked the hostess.
"Is that what the Captain said?" Val asked, and everyone started shouting over each other. Everyone was getting louder, and louder, and louder, until, finally, I had enough.
"Everyone! Quiet!" I screamed as loud as I could, and everyone was silent. "Thank you. Now, if you'd care to listen to Dee Dee, she has the answer."
Dee Dee stood up. "Oh. Er, it's just that, well, the air's on a circular filter, so we could stay breathing for ten years."
"There you go." the Doctor said. "And I've spoken to the Captain. I can guarantee you everything's fine."
Thump, thump. A knocking noise was heard.
"What was that?" Val asked, her voice wavering.
"It must be the metal." Hobbes tried to rationalize. "We're cooling down. It's just settling."
"Rocks." Dee Dee added. "It could be rocks falling."
"What I want to know is, how long do we have to sit here." Biff added, growing impatient.
Thump, thump. Two more were heard on a different part of the vehicle. My hearts started to beat rapidly.
"What is that?" Sky asked.
"There's someone out there." Val said.
"Now, don't be ridiculous." Hobbes told her, knowing that there could never be life on Midnight.
"Like I said, it could be rocks." Dee Dee repeated.
"We're out in the open. Nothing could fall against the sides." the hostess explained, causing everyone to worry.
Two more thumps were heard.
"Knock, knock." the Doctor said quietly.
"Who's there?" Jethro added.
"Is there something out there? Well? Anyone?" Sky demanded, paranoid.
Thump, thump
"What the hell is making that noise?!" she questioned again.
"I'm sorry," Hobbes interrupted. "But the light out there is Xtonic. That means it would destroy any living thing in a split second. It is impossible for someone to be outside."
Thump, thump
"Well, what the hell is that, then?" Sky questioned him, as the Doctor took out a stethoscope and put it against the wall.
"Sir, you really should get back to your seat." the hostess demanded, only to be ignored.
"Hello?" the Doctor asked quietly
Thump, thump. This time, though, they were quicker and in the back of the shuttle.
"It's moving." Jethro observed, and I nodded in agreement.
The Doctor went to observe the door, me following close behind.
"It's trying the door." Val said, panicking
"There is no it." Hobbes tried to persuade them. "There's nothing out there. Can't be."
The door to the exit rattled, startling everyone including me.
Breath in, out, in, out. Everything will be fine. I kept telling myself.
"That's the entrance. Can it get in?" Val asked, afraid.
"No. That door's on two hundred weight hydraulics." Dee Dee reassured her.
"Stop it. Don't encourage them." Hobbes scholded.
"What do you think it is?" Dee Dee questioned him.
Biff went up to the door.
"Biff, don't." Val begged her husband.
"Mister Cane. Better not." the Doctor agreed.
"Nah, it's cast iron, that door." Biff assured everyone, knocking on it three times.
He got three knocks in reply.
"Three times." Val said, breathless. "Did you hear that? It did it three times."
"It answered." Jethro whispered.
"It did it three times!" Val repeated.
"All right, all right, all right. Everyone calm down." the Doctor said, trying to regain order
"No, but it answered. It answered." Sky said, shaking. "Don't tell me that thing's not alive. It answered him."
Thump, thump, thump.
The hostess tried to regain order. "I really must insist you get back to your seats."
"No, don't just stand there telling us the rules. You're the hostess. You're supposed to do something." Sky accused.
Do something… wait! The driver and the mechanic. The Doctor didn't get them out! I forgot! Stupid, you had one job!
I ran to the door and tried to get it to open, but it was jammed. I tried again and again, but it would not open.
"Crap," I muttered.
My eyes grew wide as I heard the Doctor yell, "Get out of there!"
The shuttle started to shake, and I was thrown from the door into the seats. The car went black.
