The sheer size of Coldstar would have been impossible to navigate had it not been for the management robot.
Despite only now existing as a head being cradled in the Doctor's arms, the remnants of the machine had managed to direct them so far without much of an issue. But now its voice and memory core were starting to fail the longer it was separated from its body as the parts within slowly succumbed to the damage that had been caused by the imploded plasma batteries.
"Okay, which way now?" The Doctor asked it. "Left or right?"
"Left," it replied in a crackling voice. "Then third right."
Rose suppressed a giggle as she saw the Time Lord smiled fondly down at the piece of machinery as though it were a puppy. Perhaps he was feeling slightly sorry for it given that it had been his instruction which had caused the robot to explode in the first place. But it had got them out of there, scattered as they all now were.
"Why do you still need that thing, Doctor?" She asked. "Where is it taking us?"
"The management is as good as a map, Rose." He explained. "The ice warriors have the control room, so we'll take the next best thing…. Maintenance."
Brona nodded in agreement of this plan.
"Good idea." She affirmed. "It's a solid strategy, I'll give you that."
Grinning over his shoulder at the space pirate, the Doctor knew that she could provide much more than just a vote of confidence for what to do next. Her dozens of tiny robot crabs were still spread out far and wide around Coldstar, and the ice warriors would have no idea whatsoever that they were there at all. Rather than being a hindrance, the ability of the wreckers to cause damage to the vessel would now serve to save countless lives.
"Call you wreckers back to meet us there." He told Brona. "That is where you and Callum put them back into the system?"
"Of course," Brona confirmed. "We gave them their orders and set them loose."
Putting her hand into a pocket sewn into the inside of her long, sleeveless overcoat, the privateer produced a small tablet device. Attached to either side were two small handles that reminded Rose of sections of a steering wheel. They had groves for the fingers to wrap around, the tips of which lit up green as Brona took hold of the device. With a simple squeeze of each finger, she could send her miniature army to anywhere in the ship.
"Ah!" The Doctor noted, sounding impressed. "Isomorphic control pad. Let me guess, it's powered by a low-level sonic wave?"
"I could operate this thing blindfolded." Brona boasted. "Callum's getting the hang of it too. You seem to know a lot about piracy?"
"I know a lot about a lot of things." The Doctor replied. "But not too much about Coldstar. Management, care to enlighten us?"
The metallic head still had enough power and processing capabilities left to be able to acknowledge the Time Lord's request for further information on the corporation which owned and operated the very vessel they were stood aboard.
"Coldstar Incorporated operates over two thousand Coldstar storage facilities." It informed them. "The vessels remain in orbit around colony worlds across the outer -"
"Yes, but more specifically this place." The Doctor cut in. "Where did they get the ice?"
"This Coldstar satellite was created by compacting polar ice extracted from K Z Alpha Nine, and it's associated -"
"Question, where is K Z Alpha Nine?"
"It is within this solar system. The planet directly…."
The voice of management robot was really starting to fail now as more and more static filed the void instead. But the Doctor knew that it was vital they got wherever information they could out of it before it shut down completely, even so despite his urgency he made sure to treat the hardworking machine with a good level of respect. After all, it had just lost ninety percent of its body.
"So, they pinched it from the neighbour's back yard?" He tutted disapprovingly. "When will people learn that's never a good idea."
"Everyone knows Coldstar always maximises profit." Brona chipped in. "That's why I don't feel so bad about robbing them."
"So they cut corners then?" Rose asked. "They took ice they weren't supposed to take and picked up the ice warriors whilst they were doing it?"
"Exactly, Rose." The Doctor said, nodding. "They built this place on the cheap, scooping up vast chunks of unfiltered ice from wherever was handy. Oh, didn't they check at all? I mean, it's not like finding a fly in your ice… No actually, it is exactly like finding flies in your ice cube. Big green, angry flies with sonic weapons."
Brona shook her head at this. She had studied the wars as a child and knew that the conflict of so very long ago was recorded as being long and bloody on both sides, but that it had been hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Surely, these ice warriors were not the same creatures that had spread such terror through this part of the galaxy all those centuries ago?
"But the ice warriors aren't a threat anymore." She stated. "There hasn't even been a sighting of one until now."
"Well, it depends on how long they've been frozen for." The Doctor told her. "Don't get me wrong, I've met a few that could be reasoned with. But this lot… they definitely woke up on the wrong side of the iceberg."
"Maintenance two hundred meters ahead." The receptionist robot informed them. "First door on your left."
"Right, let's see what they're up to, and stick a spanner in their works."
The entire ship shook before anyone could take another step as the colossal satellite shifted direction. Ordinarily left alone to orbit around the planet below, parts of the vessel which ordinarily didn't have to work too hard groaned and creaked in protest of suddenly being forced into action.
"We just turned around." Rose gasped. "The whole thing just shifted!"
"That means we don't have much time left." The Doctor announced. "Come on!"
Sprinting the rest of the way up the corridor to where maintenance was located, the panelling covering the main control panel was soon unlocked with a quick wave of the sonic screwdriver. Lifting it away and setting it down onto the ground, the Doctor slipped on his tortoiseshell-rimmed glasses as he examined the small information screen that was built into the panel amongst all the wiring and switches.
"What have the ice warriors done?" Rose asked, leaning over his shoulder. "Why move the whole ship? Do they want to steal it?"
"Coldstar doesn't have a course." Brona reminded her. "It's typically a moon and remains in orbit around Enyo."
"Exactly." The Doctor hissed back. "Now we're falling towards it. Oh… that's narrowed my options."
The magnitude and horrific consequences of such a scenario becoming reality made Brona gasp with horror.
"What… But something this size would -"
"Yes, it would take out half the planet." The Doctor continued. "They're serious about revenge. Enyo, is that its name? I did wonder where we were. No… I've never heard of it."
Still tucked under his arm, the management robot wasn't going to last more than a couple of minutes now. Even so, as its final few parts shut down, it remained determined to help its visitors and was coherent enough to apologise as it realised that it was no longer able to operate sufficiently to meet their needs.
"I am sorry, Doctor." It groaned. "Critical systems…. failure. My function will cease…"
"Don't you worry your head about it" The Doctor assured it. "I've got everything I need."
Brona's tablet squawked into life as the screen lit up and filled with scores of information that had been displayed on the maintenance control panel just a few moments ago. All the data and records they could possibly need from the computers running Coldstar was now at their fingertips.
"Data upload successful." The pirate confirmed. "You've transferred the management's schematics straight to my control pad."
"So, now we have all we need to know about how Coldstar works." He said. "Let's send your wreckers on another mission and properly wreck the place."
"Sounds good to me."
Finishing up with the control panel, the Doctor then pressed the tip of the sonic screwdriver up against the metal plating of the management robot's head.
"I've got one more job for you, management." He asked of it. "Then you can take a well-earned retirement."
"I am… I am failing." It tried to respond. "I apologise."
"Oh, there's no need." The Time Lord told it kindly. "When we get out of this, it'll be thanks to you. The management will have done its duty."
Amongst the fading squawks and static now plaguing the robot's voice component, the machine's final few words were just about audible before it fell silent and shut down completely. The final word was cut off, but enough of it was said for everyone to knew what it had wanted to tell them.
"I am…glad…to be…of…service… and assist-"
"Thank you."
Once he was sure the management robot was no longer functioning, the Doctor used the sonic screwdriver one more time and opened up a small panel that had been built into the lefthand side of the skull. It was no bigger than his thumb, but it slid open obediently nevertheless. A perilously thin piece of reflective metal slid out like a miniature CD, which the Time Lord carefully removed out of the robot's skull. With the utmost respect, he set the head down onto the ground before returning his attention to the new colourful piece of equipment.
"What's that?" Rose questioned.
"His memory wafer." He replied. "You never know when these things could come in handy."
"So what now?" Brona asked. "What's the plan, Doctor?"
A grin crossed the Doctor's lips that Rose knew only too well. He was about to cause a lot of trouble for the ice warriors and would enjoy doing so far too much for any sane person. But she couldn't help smiling back and feeling excited herself at the idea of giving the big green giants a taste of their own medicine. If they wanted to destroy a whole planet, then the martians were going to have to get past them to do it.
"Now, I want to get Lord Hasskar's attention." The Doctor announced. "This outta do it."
Hold up the sonic screwdriver, the tip glowed bright blue as the small metal tube buzzed loudly. But the noise was nothing compared to the whirring alarms and loud automated announcements that it had triggered into playing over every tannoy and speaker that had been installed aboard Coldstar.
"Alert! All personnel, immediate evacuation! Alert! All personnel, immediate evacuation!"