SMSTSS29: Sailor Who? – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST, Doctor Who and other properties belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre story.
Special Note: This story takes place in Series 6 of Doctor Who. C&C are welcomed.
Part 11
Soon, the TARDIS arrives at what appears to be a rift in space. The rift was emitting such a distortion that the time-and-space craft was having difficulty stabilizing its position.
"Doctor, what's going on?" Amy asked, as everyone was holding on to the nearest railing.
"Hmmm," the Doctor said, as he pulls down a monitor to take a look at it. "Most curious…"
"Doctor?" Rory asked.
"Doc, it looks like we are looking at a rift into another dimension," Ranma said with a bemused look, as he peers outside through a porthole. "Category 5, no doubt."
"More like a seven," the Doctor said.
"Actually, 7.5, given the radiance from the hypercube," Usagi said with a wide grin.
The Doctor gave Usagi a quizzical look with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, I'm right, am I?"
"More like a 7.5331," the Doctor said with a grin of his own. "I was simply rounding."
"I see…"
"Would you three stop showing off on how smart ye all are, and do something?" Amy said with exacerbation. "You know, strange doorway into another dimension?"
"Right," the Doctor said, as he cleared his through. "Now, from these readings, we're not dealing with a full Universe, but rather a micro-Universe."
"Which means that we could be dealing with a place that has only one planet and one star to orbit around," Ranma said.
"Or just a planetoid," Usagi said. "From my and Ranma's experience, we could easily be dealing with a single organism."
"Yes, this true…"
"Who exactly sent the message, Doctor?" Rory asked.
"A legendary Time Lord known only as the 'Corsair'," the Doctor said. "We were school chums, in fact."
"Wait, I remember that guy," Ranma said. "He was the one who started the 'Prank Wars' between the Time Lords and the Time Raiders."
"Who are these…'Time Raiders'?" Amy asked.
"They were the non-corporeal versions of the Time Lords," the Doctor said with a sniff. "They exist outside of normal space-time, create bodies to interact with corporeal beings for themselves, and then use their knowledge to make a profit. I mean, really. Why use such a skill at temporal science for base reasons?"
"According to our old master, Xer'Zees, they do what they do in order to experience life to the fullest, and they don't care about the moral or ethical considerations involved," Usagi said. "Thankfully, the Doctor had set us straight on being responsible about such matters."
"And I suppose I owe YOU for this?" Amy asked. "After all, I wouldn't have met 'Gino' otherwise."
"Dear, I thought we were over this?" Rory said.
"Over what?"
"Her," Rory said, as he motions towards Usagi.
"Don't be stupid."
"But how do I know that you don't have feelings for Usagi?"
"Just because I care about her, that doesn't mean that I don't love you, Rory," Amy said, as she moved to hug her husband. "Usagi is Melody's father, and I don't want to forget the good we once shared."
"Yeah, Rory," Usagi said in a terse manner. "Don't be such a 'girl' about this. Amy loves you, she married you, and she wants to have a full life with YOU."
"Well, when you put it that way…"
"As much as I enjoy this 'novella', we do have a missing Time Lord to find?" the Doctor said. He then turned towards Ranma.
"Ranma? Prepare for trans-dimensional phasing."
"Aye, aye," Doctor," Ranma said, as he took out his tool box. "I'll have to make a slight tweak to the manifold, but we should be set to go."
"Good, because I am looking forward to the Corsair's latest adventure..."
After a rough patch through the dimensional membrane, the TARDIS came across a planetoid that orbited a dying star. Unfortunately, the power to the TARDIS went out.
"What the hell is going on?" Amy said, as the vehicle rocked.
"I don't know," the Doctor said, as he tried to reinitialize the power-backups. "But…nothing is happening!"
"Doctor, I know what's happening," Usagi said.
"What?"
"The TARDIS' matrix is…gone."
"WHAT?"
"Confirmed!" Ranma yelled from below deck. He had been making the adjustments to allow the TARDIS to travel into the pocket dimension.
"Why didn't you say something earlier?" the Doctor yelled, as he leans over to side of the railing on the upper deck.
"It just happened. Plus, the power loss isn't internal. Something…took it."
"But…how?" Rory asked. "You can't simply take a power source…right?"
"I don't know, Rory," the Doctor said, as he leans on the TARDIS' main control panel. "All I know is that if the power is not restored, we'll crash on wherever planetoid we are heading towards."
"Not necessarily," Usagi said, as she typed away on the TARDIS's computer.
"What are you doing?" Amy asked.
"There," Usagi said, as she moved the screen to face the Doctor. "Doctor, what do you think?"
The Doctor looks up, and reads the data…
"Brilliant!" the Doctor said happily. "I'll just need to make some modifications, but…"
The Doctor looks up.
"Ranma!"
"Yo!" Ranma replied from below.
"Get ready to unleash your biggest attack yet!"
"What?"
Using Usagi's calculations as a guideline, the Doctor explains his plan to use Ranma's "Perfect Moka Takabisha Technique" to create the immediate energy needs for the TARDIS. Once Ranma was able to initiate a modified version of his signature attack to boast the TARDIS' dwindling auxiliary power supply, enabling a somewhat safe landing…
"Well, any landing where you can walk away from is a good landing," the Doctor said, as he and his companions stepped out unto what appeared to be a…junkyard.
"Speak for yourself," Amy said. "We're stuck here, all because of some guy that you think you know."
"Not just some 'guy', my dear Amelia Pond," the Doctor replied.
"You know, I hate it when you do that."
"Do what?"
"Call me by my full name."
"He does that just to get under your skin, because he knows that you are right," Usagi replied.
"I do NOT need any comments from anyone right now, Bunny."
"Then, too bad," Ranma said, as he showed his bandaged hands to the others. "I don't like being unprepared for THIS."
"It's only a little…scratch, Ranma."
"This…is more than a scratch, Doc."
"Doctor, he's right," Rory said, as he puts away his medical kit back into his bag. "Ranma's hands look like they are suffering third degree burns. I'm surprise Ranma is not screaming out in pain."
"That's because I'm not a wimp," Ranma replied. "Besides, my regeneration is kicking in."
"'Regeneration'?" Amy asked. "But, you're not close to death, are ye?"
"Of course he's not," the Doctor said. "Why would he be?"
"ANYWAY, I can't fix the TARDIS if my hands are bandaged," Ranma said.
"I'll help, Ranma," Usagi said.
"No, I just need Rory."
"What?" Rory replied. "Why?"
"Because, Usagi is more suited to looking after the Doctor and Amy, that's why."
"You think I need a babysitter?" the Doctor replied.
"Gee, we land on a mysterious world, and the TARDIS' matrix mysteriously disappeared. What do you think?"
"I think you're getting too cheeky of late."
"Doctor, Ranma's right," Amy said. "I feel safer knowing that you and Usagi are around."
"What am I, chop-liver?" Rory said. "Do you know who I am?"
"The Juggernaut?" Ranma said jokingly.
"No, I'm Amy's HUSBAND, that's who."
"Rory, relax," Usagi said, as she hugs Amy on her left side. "It'll be just us girls."
"Don't forget me in that roll call," the Doctor said.
"As I said, it'll be just us girls."
"Hardy, har, har."
"Doctor, I'm kidding. Look, we should find the Corsair, if he, or she, needs us."
"Right, come on, you two," the Doctor said, as he begins to walk down a path that was within the valley of a junkyard towards a tall structure. He then turned towards Ranma and Rory.
"I expect no trouble from you two while I am gone?"
"Only if Rory is the cause, Doc," Ranma replied.
"I resent that," Rory replied in a huff.
"Whatever. It's time to do some repairs, and pay attention to when I am giving you instructions. Healer, you maybe, but engineer, you are not."
"I'm not the one with bruised hands."
"Touche, Rory Pond."
"It's WILLIAMS!"
"Whatever…"
As the Doctor, Amy and Usagi walked down the stretch of road between the stacks of debris, Usagi scans the area.
"Weird," Usagi said.
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"I can't sense the source, but I feel a presence all around me…"
"A ghost?"
"Don't be silly," the Doctor said. "'Ghosts' are nothing more than psychic imprints of strong personalities mixed in with their energy signatures."
"In other words, you means 'ghosts'," Usagi said. "But, that's not what I am sensing."
Before the Doctor could retort, an attractive, wild woman dressed in 18th century English garb comes running up the path.
"Beloved, I'm here!" the woman yelled. She then looked confused.
"Wait, that should be the other way around," the woman said introspectively. She then felt her body.
"This sensation of skin is wonderful and frightening at the same time. These smells…this sight…it's astounding!"
"Doctor, what is going on?" Amy said.
Just then, three more people come running up the path behind her.
"Idris, please!" said the middle-aged woman. She was dressed like a gentle mother…on crack cocaine. "You're not well!"
"I haven't felt better!" Idris said. She then gets a confused look.
"Wait, I was stolen? Yes, that must be it. Box…BOX!"
"You have to calm yourself!" said the man. He was dressed like a traditional parade bandleader, or a Union non-commissioned officer.
"No, the 'One-Who-Ran-Away' has to be told that his Jack is out of the box…!"
Pause.
"Or should that be Jane instead? Gender is so confusing. Wait, I know!"
Idris goes up to Doctor, and presses herself onto his person.
"You are a danger to him!" Indris said. "Wait, should that be he is a danger to you?"
"Who is he?"
"A snake in the box with many boxes, that's who!"
"Pardon?"
"Okay, time out," Usagi said, as she formed the letter "T" with her hands. "Back up. Who is she…?"
Usagi points Idris.
"Who is SHE…?"
Usagi points to the older-looking woman. She then points to the man standing next to the older woman.
"And who is HE, and who is that guy over there?"
Usagi then points at the Ood standing behind the man.
"Oh, my god!" Amy yelped. "What is that?"
"Don't be rude, Amelia," the Doctor said. "The Ood think humans are strange looking to them."
"…"
"I'm sorry about that," the Doctor said, as he faced the strangers. "But I didn't catch your names…"
"Sorry," said the middle-aged woman, as she faced her companions. "You can call me 'Auntie', he's 'Uncle', he's 'Nephew', and that is 'Niece'."
"I prefer 'Idris'," Idris said defiantly. She clutched her stomach.
"Oh, dear…"
"What is it?" Amy said.
"I feel pressure from within my stomach, as if I am about to explode."
"Coming up, or down?" Usagi asked.
"I think…up…"
"Do what I do," Usagi said, as she contorted her throat and jaw.
"WHAT are you doing?" the Doctor said. He was silenced by the raise of hand of the Moon Princess…
"BUUUUURRRPPPPP!"
"Ew!" Amy said.
"Ohhhhhh," Idris said. "What is that?"
"It's called a 'belch'," Usagi said. "It's the release of gasses within your stomach."
"Oh, I see. You mean, like this?"
Idris copied Usagi's movements, and then-
"BUUUUUUURRRRRRPPPP!" Idris belched in surprise, before smiling. "WOW!"
"Oh, dear," Auntie said.
"Better that, than her biting someone," Uncle said.
The Doctor noticed that the Ood's spherical communications device was not glowing. However, the Ood was motioning the Doctor to take a look at it.
"What's this?" the Doctor said, as he goes over to the Ood to take a look at the spherical device. "Oh, it's broken…"
"Careful, Doctor," Usagi said. "Remember the last time we came across an Ood."
"Wait, what happened?" Amy asked.
"A long story for another day, that's what had happened," the Doctor said, as he quickly took apart the device, tinkered with it for a moment, and then puts it back together. Now, it was glowing as it should, but something else happened. All of a sudden, there was a cacophony of voices that were coming from the sphere.
"What?" Amy asked.
Usagi listened to the voices, using her access to the Speed Force, the energy field that makes motion possible in the Universe, to speed up the processes in her mind, so that she could memorize the voices. Of course, doing so was going to give her the equivalent of an ice cream headache.
"Owie," Usagi said, as she clutched her head.
"Gino?" Amy asked, as she held Usagi.
"I'm fine," Usagi said. "I just…have a headache-"
"Boxes!" Idris said suddenly. "More Boxes…!"
Idris turned towards the Doctor with the expression of sadness.
"Oh, Doctor, don't be angry."
"Angry at what?" the Doctor asked, as he looks around, even as the voices from the Ood's spherical device grew silent. "How did you all manage to be here?"
"Well, the same way you got here, I suppose," Auntie said. "We all crashed here from out there."
"More or less," Uncle replied. "Actually, less, much less."
"What do you mean by that?" the Doctor asked. "And what is this place?"
"Welcome to our dear ol' House," Auntie said.
"In fact, we've been expecting you," Uncle said. "Oh, yes we are…"
The Doctor, Amy and Usagi turned to look at each other for a moment…
"Well, then lead on," the Doctor said.
"Follow us," Auntie said, as she motions her family and guests to follow her.
As everyone begins to follow Auntie, Idris pulls the Doctor aside.
"The truth won't set us free," Idris said, as she turned towards Usagi, who was attended to by Amy. "But the Moon might…"
"You don't say," the Doctor replied, as he turned towards Usagi, wonder what role his long time companion will play…
Tbc.