Romana was examining pieces of broken equipment as Braxiatel walked over to help her with the remaining crew stood around, watching them.
Romana sighed before looking at McDonnell seriously. "We need to have a backup plan incase we don't reach the auxiliary engines in time but I have deep faith in Martha and I know that Martha will finish the task with Riley but still, a backup is always necessary. What resources have you got Captain?"
McDonnell was about to reply when Martha's voice comes over the intercom. "Romana? Braxiatel?"
"What is it Martha?" Romana asked, not even looking up.
"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles. That's pre-download." Martha asked.
Romana looked slightly baffled."I only know so much about human history. Ask Braxiatel, he'll know." She gave him a pointed look. Even though she has been to a Earth a numerous times, that did not mean she knew everything about it. Especially when it came to music. Really, she found Earth a bit primitive.
Braxiatel looked thoughtful. "It's Elvis." He replied confidently before frowning. "Actually, thinking about it now..." He scratched the back of his head, trying to think but in this heat, it was impossible to think clearly. "Sorry Martha, I do not know. You'll have to ask someone else."
"Fine. I'll ask someone else!" Martha replied, sounding slightly irritated. She would have thought that Braxiatel, who used to own a museum about the size of a planet would know everything about Elvis or the Beatles! Or he would have at least have some of their collections within it when it was still around. How could he not know about Elvis or the Beatles records?
Romana looked back at McDonnell. "We just need to harness the generator and use it to jump-start the ship in simple terms."
Braxiatel nodded. "It should buy us some time as well."
McDonnell looked impressed with her. "That's brilliant."
Romana looked smugged. "I know right? See, you all just need hope and I promise you, I will get you all out of here. Just hang onto hope because it is all you need right now."
Most of the crew were smiling broadly at them now, knowing that with Romana and Braxiatel here, there maybe just a way out. "If it works." Scannell commented doubtfully.
"Oh, believe me. You're gonna make it work." McDonnell scolded him and Scannell walked off, looking dejected. Ashton and Braxiatel looked at McDonnell with respect.
"Let's get to it." Romana commented, clapping her hands together before tying her hair up in a messy pony-tail. This was going to be a long task ahead of them.
"Impact in 29.46."
Martha frowned at Riley. "Hang on, I'll call my mum." She told him and she got out her mobile and dialled in her mother's number in and waited for a few seconds until she heard her mother pick up the phone.
"Hello?" Francine called from the other end, finishing off making her coffee.
Martha looked surprised, happy that the signal actually worked even if they were right next to the sun. "Mum? It's me. It's Martha. Wow!" If only her mum knew where she was! She would go absolutely ballistic at Romana and Braxiatel and would most likely kill them too for getting Martha stuck in this sticky situation.
"Where are you? Don't you check your messages? I've been calling you." Francine replied angrily to her daughter.
Martha flinched at her mother's tone. "Actually, bit busy. Need you to do something for me."
"No, listen to me. We have to talk about those new friends of yours."
"Mum! Please not now! I need you to look something up on the internet!" Martha gritted her teeth. Why did her mother hold such a grudge against the Time-Lord's when they have been nothing but good friends to Martha? Was it all because of the Lazarus incident?
"Do it yourself. You've got a computer." Francine coldly replied.
I wish I had, Martha thought angrily. "Oh just do it will you!" Martha shouted down the phone and Riley looked stunned at what Martha had just shouted and Martha casted a nervous glance at him before giving a slight laugh. "Please."
"When did you get so rude?" Francine retorted crossly as she walked into the living room and sat on the computer. "I'll tell you when. Ever since you met those new friends of yours."
"I need to know who had more number ones; the Beatles or Elvis?" Martha said quickly, getting straight to the point. There it was again. Her mother hating on the Time-Lord's. What have they done to make her mother hate them so? And who gave her the false information about them? If it was false that was.
"Hang on." Francine replied as she set up her laptop. "The mouse is unplugged." Martha half screamed and half growled down the phone, her "Ok, I'm on. What is this? Pub quiz?"
Martha and Riley both rolled their eyes. If only it there that simple. "Yeah, a pub quiz." Martha replied.
"Using your mobile is cheating." Francine accused.
"Have you found it?!"
"There's over four hundred thousand results. Give me a minute." Francine replied and Riley and Martha looked impatient at each other as they slowly ran out of time.
"Impact in 28.50."
"Braxiatel, Romana, these readings are starting to scare me." Abi called to the Time-Lord's through the intercom.
"How so?" Braxiatel replied. Was Korwin really being rewritten like he thought he was?
"Well, Korwin's body's changing! His whole biological make-up, it's impossible." Braxiatel's eyes widened, realizing what was happening. Suddenly, they heard the restrainers on Korwin come unloose and they heard a bang through the intercomm. "This is the med-centre." Abi voice raised to a shout. "Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"
Romana looked at the others. "Braxiatel, you're in charge down here. I'm going up! Abi, get the hell out of there! That is an order!" Without another word, Romana ran out of the room and McDonnell stopped what she was doing and followed Romana out. Ashton and Scannell looked after her as she went before glancing at Braxiatel who merely shook his head.
Erina ran in the opposite direction to get to the comm. "Abi, they're on their way."
"What's happening to you?" They heard Abi cry, too afraid to be able to run out of the room.
"Burn with me." Korwin replied in a deep, threatening voice and Braxiatel knew at once that something had infected or possessed Korwin and the normal Korwin was no longer there.
Quickly, Braxiatel ran out of the room, Scannell and Ashton glancing after him as he followed Romana and he caught up with them as the women ran towards the med-centre and Romana turned her head to the side as she saw Braxiatel following her. "I thought I told you to stay with the others!" She chided.
"Korwin's been possessed." Braxiatel began, not even pausing in his tracks. "He's going to be attacking Abi any minute so I suggest we make a move on don't you think my Lady?"
Romana raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm the one that gives the orders Braxiatel and yes, we really should so come on!"
"Elvis." Francine replied on the phone as she found the answer to Martha's question.
Martha blinked in surprise as Francine had taken so long to reply. She had almost forgotten what she was on the phone to her mother for. "What?!" She shook her head before pointing to Riley over the computer. "Elvis."
Riley typed the answer to the question quickly and both grinned when they both made it through the door and ran to the next one, Martha still talking to her mum. "Mum, you're a star!" Martha commented, remembering the comment Romana made to her as she told her that she was a star.
"Now, we need to have a serious-" Before Francine could even finish her sentence, they suddenly heard Abi scream loudly in agony and Martha and Riley heard her scream and they paused in their tracks, their eyes widening with fear. "What was that?" Francine asked sharply.
Martha started to shake a little, realizing that there was more than one serious problem to deal with. "I've gotta go." She put the phone and Martha ran over to a nearby comm. "Romana, Braxiatel, what were those screams?"
Romana and Braxiatel and McDonnell were still running towards the med-centre. "Just concentrate on getting through those doors Martha!" Romana yelled and Martha nodded before she ran to attach the clamp on the next door.
"Impact in 27.06."
Francine switched off the conversation with Martha and looked deeply troubled. That scream then sounded like someone was dying. Someone who was in agony and Francine wondered if Martha was even on a pub quiz at all but on a quiz that may get her killed if she answered the wrong question. Francine knew that she must not be over dramatic but that scream did not sound good. Quickly, before she could change her mind, she picked up the phone again and dialled in a number and waited until someone on the other end of the phone picked up, they did but they didn't say anything and Martha knew it must be him. Francine swallowed, wondering if she was doing the right thing. "Hello? Martha's phoned and I think she is with them."
Romana, Braxiatel and McDonnell burst through the plastic sheeting and into the med-centre. They saw Scannell already there somehow, looking around and they noticed the restraints that Abi put on him on the floor beside the bed which was now empty.
"Korwin's gone..." McDonnell spoke, slightly shaken by what has happened.
"And so's Abi." Braxiatel replied, his voice emotionless as he looked in the direction where Abi had been and they all turned around to see a charred, black shape on the wall in what was once left of Abi. Braxiatel walked towards it, examining it. This was unusual. He had never seen anything like it in all the years he had lived! Not even Rassilon was that viscous with his glove.
"Oh my god..." Scannell replied and Romana didn't even bother telling him of for not staying in the engine room. "Tel me that's not Lerner."
"It's Endothermic vaporisation. I've seen some ferocious ones before but never this ferocious." He looked thoughtful. "Burn with me. Before, Korwin had his eyes closed so that must how he be infected. If you see Korwin, do not look into his eyes."
"What? No way! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporise people! He's human!" McDonnell replied, shouting. Korwin was not a killer! Sure, they were a cargo ship and know and then they stealed stuff but they never murdered anyone. Korwin wasn't that cold blooded.
Romana shook her head before picking up the x-rays and bioscan results that Abi was looking at before. "He was but he's not human anymore Captain. Everything has been replaced and to me, rewritten."
McDonnell snatched the results out of Romana's hands, glaring at her. "The test results are wrong!"
"Don't give me that excuse," Romana glowered, not in the mood to have some deny evidence right in front of their eyes. "I know he is your husband and you care for him but I'm afraid the Korwin you new has gone. Just look at these test results Captain! Something has taken over his body as though a host. But what exactly?"
Braxiatel looked at her. "Indeed. Whatever you do, do not look into Korwin's eyes."
"Stop talking about my husband like he's some kind of experiment!" McDonnell cried hysterically. She hated this! She hated this mission! This mission was destroying her life! First her ship, then her crew and now her husband! Did whatever she provoke really hate them that much?
Romana looked between Scannell and McDonnell. "What route were you on with this ship? Have you made any contact at all?"
"What is this? An interrogation?!" McDonnell scoffed.
Braxiatel looked at her. "You're scared, we know. But we are only trying to help. We have to stop your husband before he kills or injures anyone again."
"We're just...a cargo ship." She turned away from the Time-Lord's and looked very distraught.
Scannell tried to comfort her. "Look Romana, just give her a minute." Secretly, Scannell has always had feelings for his Captain. Feelings that were not returned but Scannell could only dream that one day they might be.
McDonnell brushed him aside, recovering quickly. "I'm fine. I need to warn the rest of the crew." Romana and Braxiatel continued to puzzle over the bioscan results, figuring out what exactly has possessed Korwin. "Everybody, listen to me! Something has possessed Korwin. We think..." She paused and Romana looked at her, slightly concerned. "He killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him and none of you must look into his eyes, is that clear?"
"Understood Captain." Ashton replied through the intercom, feeling slightly saddened that the Korwin he knew was long gone. "Erina? Get back here with that equipment!" Korwin had always been a good friend to him and they shared many laughs and jokes between each other and to hear him gone in a certain way, he had lost an extremely close friend and he couldn't bear to think how his Captain was feeling.
"Impact in 24.51."
Romana, Braxiatel, Scannell and McDonnell were still in the med-centre with Braxiatel studying the bioscan results. McDonnell was sitting on a nearby chair, looking extremely worried with Scannell close by. McDonnell looked across to Romana. "Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?"
Romana looked at her. "How long have you been married?"
"Eleven years. We chose this ship together and he keeps me honest." McDonnell replied proudly. She remembered it as though it was yesterday. "So please don't give me false hope."
"The parasite is too deadly. Your husband has been long gone and there is no cure for him. I'm sorry." Romana replied truthfully. Romana was not the Doctor. She does not lie and nor does she try and make the truth any easier. She gives the truth as it is.
McDonnell merely nodded. "Thank you." She replied quietly, that was all she wanted to hear.
Braxiatel turned to look at her. "What started all this? Did you provoke anything?" He ran his hand through his greying hair. The only reason why a parasite like this would attack this violently if it was provoked. So what secrets were the crew keeping from them that they didn't want to know? "You're not working on a top secret mission are you mmm?"
"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing." McDonnell replied sternly and Braxiatel looked at her, pursing his lips as he knew that was not the truth.
Romana stared at her harshly. "Then why is this thing so interested in attacking you? Why is it not letting your ship go?"
McDonnell shook her head slightly. "I wish I knew..." Though she had a fair idea why she caused the ship like this, she would not dare tell Romana or Braxiatel for fear of suffering their wrath.
Riley and Martha have now made it to door 17 and they managed to burst through it and run for the next one. Martha knew what to do now, getting the idea of the task without even being asked what to do and she went to the door and held the clamp up to it. "Romana, Braxiatel, we're through to area 17." She told the Time-Lord's through the intercom.
"Good job! You have to get to area one as quick as you can to reboot the engines." Romana encouraged.
Suddenly, Riley was having trouble getting the latest computer terminal to work and he hit it, hoping it will work. "Come on!" He turned to face Martha who stopped to see what was wrong. "Everything on this ship is so cheap!" They suddenly hear a loud bang and looked in the direction it came from. "Who's there?!"
The loud banging continued and they both laid down their equipment and went to investigate and as they get closer to the door, they could just about make a figure. "Is that Korwin?" Martha whispered, feeling scared.
Riley craned his neck to see. "No, wait a minute..." The figure came forward and was wearing a space helmet. However, it was not Korwin but Ashton. Riley looked relieved. "Oh, Ashton. What're you doing?"
"Burn with me." Ashton replied in a deeper voice to Korwin's.
Riley frowned. Since when did Ashton have a deep voice? "Well, if you wanna help..."
"Burn with me! Burn with me!" Ashton's hand moves up to remove the eye shield and both Martha and Riley realise that Ashton have been possessed. Just like Korwin.
Martha slams her palm onto the button that opened a nearby door. "Move!" It began to slide open and Martha squeezed through the gap. "Come on!" She entered the small room and cowered in the far corner, Riley quickly following her before he punches the keypad that was against the door and the door began to slide shut. Once the door was fully closed, they both sighed with relief. However, they quickly saw that Ashton's helmet through the porthole and he began to pound on the door. Riley furiously began to type in another combination on the keypad that opened up to the escape pod next to them and they climbed inside, shutting the door.
Riley shook his head, looking scared. "What is happening on this ship?!" The crew was going mad and not only that, their ship was going astray! Has this universe finally gone mad?
"Never mind that. Where are we?" Martha asked, gazing around but before Riley could answer, the computer made an announcement.
"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod."
Martha, still unsure of where they were turned to Riley angrily. "That doesn't mean us?!" Realising that it did and seeing Riley lunging for the internal keypad, she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Romana! Braxiatel!" They had to rescue them. They had too!
"Pod jettison initiated." The computer announced as Riley frantically typed onto the keypad inside the pod. Outside the airlock, Ashton stood, watching them.
Martha began to speak into the small intercomm next to Riley. "Romana! We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!" She turned to Riley, breathing heavily. "Tell me you can stop it."
In the engineering room, Romana was looking at something with Braxiatel as McDonnell and Scannell observed them when Martha called through. McDonnell looked like she was going to have a breakdown any second. "Why is this happening?" She whimpered.
"All of you stay here and that is a serious order this time!" Romana shouted as she took off in Martha's direction. "Braxiatel, jump start those engines!"
McDonnell looked at Braxiatel. "It's picking us off one by one isn't it?"
"It looks like it. I don't know what you have done to provoke this infection, but it's not going to stop until we are all dead." He nodded and through the smoke, they saw the ominous charred shape of Erina, looking at it with a mixture of pity and horror.
"Jettison held." The computer told Riley and Martha.
They both sighed with relief. "Thank you." Riley breathed.
"Jettison reactivated."
Martha screamed and began to hit on the door wildly. Wishing desperately that she had Romana's or Braxiatel's sonic pen or screwdriver with them or either of them here for the matter when behind her, Riley once again started tapping wildly on the keypad.
"Come on!" Riley groaned out in frustration. "Geovinsci sequence. This'll get him."
"Jettison held. Escape pod established."
Both Riley and Martha breathed another sigh of relief. Martha looked towards Riley. "You're pretty good." She said quietly.
Braxiatel, McDonnell and Scannell run back into engineering, looking around for Ashton or Korwin. "Ashton!" McDonnell yelled when they drew level with the broken equipment and they realized that Ashton wasn't there.
Braxiatel examined the machines. "Someone hacked into the computer systems. I'm good at re-routing generators but not that good I'm afraid." He threw some of the wires to the floor when Scannell, in a fit of rage swiftly gives the equipment a good kick. He wasn't as good as his brother.
Scannell turned and began to run in the direction he and McDonnell came from. "Who the hell did that?!"
"Obviously whatever possessed Korwin or Ashton." Braxiatel commented dryly. He had figured that Ashton was possessed by now with the way he left the engineering room.
McDonnell tried to stay calm and turned away from him when suddenly, she saw a figure through the smoke with a space helmet. Braxiatel moved to protect McDonnell as she backed away as Korwin quickly advanced. "Korwin? What are you? Why are you killing my crew?!" Korwin's hand goes to open the protective visor. "How could you do this? What have you done to my husband?!" Korwin stopped in his tracks.
"Keep talking. There may be just a tiny bit left of Korwin." Braxiatel told McDonnell, encouraging her.
McDonnell nodded, sounding surprised with herself. "You recognise me Korwin! You know me." Korwin's hand leaves the visor and McDonnell started to shake slightly in fear. "It's Kath! Your wife!"
"My wife?" Korwin asked, his voice still deep.
"That's it, do you remember her?" Braxiatel asked. "You've been married for 11 years. If there's anything left of Korwin, Korwin can fight it back!" He cocked his head to the side. "But what I want to know is, what exactly are you?"
There was a pause and Korwin looked at McDonnell. "It's all her fault." McDonnell's face fell and she and Braxiatel began to back away quickly.
Romana was running at full pelt, trying to get to her friend on time and she turned around a corner, appearing through the door from area 17 when she saw Ashton typing away on the keypad. She gave a loud whistle, causing Ashton to look at her. "You've done enough damage. Who are you? What has this ship done to you to make you want revenge on them? Tell me for I am the once President Romanadvoratrelundar of Gallifrey and Gallifrey forbid, I will make you answer!" Romana yelled angrily, advancing slowly upon Ashton. But rather than answer her, Ashton turned and puts his fists through the keypad.
Inside the escape pod, a series of sirens began to sound and the computer gave out a warning. "Jettison activated."
Riley made to type on the keyboard but then he'd realized what Ashton had done. He had destroyed it completely and his whole body went numb and he looked fearfully at Martha. "He's smashed the circuit. I can't stop it." He began to panic, realizing what truly was happening. "I can't stop it!"
Braxiatel and McDonnell were backing away from Korwin. Behind them, Scannell were standing still and watching the scene before him. Korwin had yet to realize he was even there.
"What do you mean it's her fault? What have they done to provoke you because that's what I'm trying to find out." Braxiatel asked, trying to get Korwin to see reason. "We can help you if you hold off your attack."
"It's all her fault! Her fault! Now she will burn with me!" He began to lift his hand to his visor once again and Braxiatel made to push McDonnell to the side when suddenly, a jet of steam engulfs Korwin from above. Korwin screamed and McDonnell looked around to see Scannell turning a pressure gauge wheel which was causing the steam.
"I'm impressed!" Braxiatel shouted, looking at Korwin with victory. "Heat against ice! You do not like that do you now mmm?"
McDonnell looked very upset to see her husband like this. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" McDonnell yelled at Scannell.
"He's freezing him!" Braxiatel asked. "By using the ice vents."
"You'll kill him!"
"I'm sorry Captain but the thing that has Korwin, Korwin is already long gone." Braxiatel told her as Scannell freezes him. "I thought he still had a bit of Korwin inside of him left, but obviously I was wrong. Korwin has been dead for a long time."
Back in area 17, Romana and Ashton were still at a stand-off just as the escape pod was preparing to jettison. "I demand to know who you are." Romana replied haughtily and Ashton advances on her until they were almost nose to nose. "Who are you? And what secrets are the crew on this ship keeping from us?"
Ashton was about to lift his hand to his visor when he suddenly fell to his knees. He doubled up and backed away from Romana but this only lasts for a few seconds before he stood up right and headed straight for Romana and Romana knew that the pod was getting closer and closer to jettisoning.
"Airlock sealed." The computer announced. However, instead of resuming his attack on Romana, Ashton jostles past her and headed out of area 17.
Romana skidded over to the nearest comm unit. "Braxiatel! Ashton's heading in your direction! He's been infected just like Korwin!"
"Korwin's unconscious for now." Braxiatel replied. "It seems we can fight them off against ice vents but it will only knock them out for a while."
"Better than something. But you have to get out of there before Ashton gets to you." Romana warned before she switched off the comm. If anything happened to Braxiatel, she will never forgive herself.
Inside the pod, Martha and Riley were still hopelessly tapping on the porthole. "This thing's locked!" Martha cried.
Just then, there was another loud siren and the computer gave another warning. "Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning the pod."
Martha furiously tapped on the glass, screaming Romana's name and she saw Romana on the other side, looking fearful even if they couldn't hear one another.
"Romana!" Martha screamed.
"Martha!" Romana screamed telepathic to her and Martha flinched slightly, not used to Romana communicating with her like this. "Oh Martha! I'm so sorry! But I'm going to save you! I'm going to save you and Braxiatel! Do not give up hope. It is not the end of this I swear to you Martha! I'm going to save you!"
Riley shook his head, not knowing Romana and Martha were communicating with each other. "Martha, it's too late."
Martha ignored him and continued to look and tap on the window, looking at Romana's fearful yet hopeful face. "Romana!"
"I'm going to save you and Riley Martha. That is a promise and I never break my promises."Romana vowed but her voice grew distant, even in Martha's mind and Martha knew that they must be going further and further away from them as Romana got smaller and smaller as they moved closer to the sun.
Martha stopped tapping on the window, looking sombre. "Coward." She whispered quietly. If Romana heard her say that, Romana would have been furious but right now, that was the definition of what she described Romana.
"Impact in 17.05."