Chapter 3: Systems Futile
"Well, that was quite the debacle I must say…" the Doctor shouts in excitement, the adrenaline still coursing through his form, causing both hearts to beat and his mood to be literally over the moon. "A debacle of the highest order… it's a funny word debacle… wonder when it was invented… we should travel back and find out…"
Both Amy and Rory look at the Doctor with annoyance and frustration. Rory has out the first- aid kit and is putting his nursing skills to good use treating both their wounds. He wraps his wife's ankle in sanitized gauze, while she helps by cleaning his wrist before he directs her how to wrap it correctly. While certainly not the worst injuries they'd sustained while travelling with the Time Lord, death, near-death or being erased from existence are at the top of the list, they still couldn't believe or understand why'd they'd gone to the strange world in the first place. It was the impulsivity of his actions and the carelessness with his Sonic Screwdriver that had disturbed the beast and sent them all packing.
"Anyways, apologies about the scrapes Ponds; the creature appeared to have an impressive telekinetic range that could control the environment surrounding it... fascinating concept..."
"It's really not," Rory interrupts.
"And yes, we figured that out for ourselves," Amy groans. "Why did we even go there in the first place?"
"Not entirely sure, the navigation systems been acting up again, haven't had time to properly look at it. According to records, it sent us a few 100 years earlier than when we were originally supposed to be there. The planet's major city is beautiful and a fascinating experience, one of kind really... but when we landed, it was before the planet was colonized. Apparently, this creature we met had been dwelling and living there for centuries and it had been in deep hibernation until the Khuks came to escape their original dying world. The resulting expansion to house their species woke the thing..."
"Well then maybe next time don't wake the bloody thing," Rory added.
"Quite right... much too early. The Khuks were supposed to deal with it, not us. Problem is, the planet is rich in various kinds of energy and when the sonic screwdriver reacted to one strain beneath the planet's surface. It activated on its own and it hit the correct frequency to wake the creature before its time," the Time Lord continues. "It was angry at being disturbed… then again who isn't if they're woken up early… you know Amy, you do it all the time…"
The redhead rolls her eyes.
"The time we were supposed to be there was after there'd been a war to defeat the creature and its abilities and the Khuks had taken its telekinetic energy to use for their own."
"So, what does that mean if we were there before it was meant to be woken up?" Amy asks.
"No idea, more than likely it will go back into hibernation since we were only there for 10 minutes at the maximum… anyways, let's set a new course to the proper time of the Khuks…"
Just then, the TARDIS shakes violently. The power flickers, unsettling noises fill the room, and the buttons and screens flash warning lights and symbols.
"What was that?" Rory asks.
"What's going on?" Amy chimes in.
The Doctor moves around the console, fiddling and working to get things under control.
"No idea…" he says at first until he reads one of the monitors. "Oh Blimey…"
The couple's faces become distressed, and dread fills their stomachs. They knew that look and what it meant. They both get up and watch as the Doctor continues to try to get things under control.
Another violent jolt nearly sends all three of them onto the ground, with Amy and Rory hanging onto the railing and each other, while the Doctor gripping the switches of the control panel.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" the Time Lord continues to repeat in a fearful voice.
"What is it, Doctor?!" Amy shouts over the noise.
"The TARDIS is completely shutting down."
"WHAT?" both his companions yell in shock.
"The damage of the collapsing tunnel and the strain on escaping the telekinetic energy was too much. She's going into total shut down and hibernation to reset her systems. It's like when a computer gets overheated and reboots itself."
"What happens if we're travelling in it?" Rory asks.
The Time Lord doesn't look up, but knowing he had to be honest with them.
Basically, we're going to be stuck in between space and time. We'd be like a balloon in a wind storm... tossed like a rag doll... batted like a cat..."
"We get it!" Amy screams.
"And the damage will make it even worse. With everything shut down, the shields needed to protect us during travel will be gone. Eventually, the unstable nature of both will rip the molecules of the TARDIS apart… we included."
"WHAT DO WE DO?!" Amy asks. Rory puts his arms around his wife as if to try and protect her from the threat that was going to kill them both.
"It's a long shot, but I might be able to land us someplace before she shuts down."
"DO IT!" the Ponds yell.
"Right… hang on tight… GEROOOONIMOOOOO!"
A/N: Worlds are going to collide really soon