XxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

Chapter 36 - Turviosz Ship

The Doctor walked into the hanger of his ship. Jake was standing under a smaller ship, waiting on him. "There you are, mate. Jack and Poltoius are getting her ready to fly. He said you wanted this one."

They walked around the side of the ship, and up the gangway. "Yep. No reason to take the big ship out."

Jake walked into the ship with him. The Doctor pressed a button to close the door as the ship powered up with a familiar hum. Jack sat at the controls with Poltious next to him.

"Hey, Doc'! Want to drive?" Jack asked.

"I better not. I was nearly finished with my third bottle of wine when I got the call."

Poltoius laughed, "Just three? Slow night."

"Oh, shut up."

Jack laughed as he pointed at the screen inside of the dashboard of the ship. "The ship is right here, near Titan."

The Doctor glanced at it. "That's not Titan, Jack. That's…. Rhea."

Jack looked back at the screen. "Oh. I couldn't see the rings. You're right."

Jake and the Doctor sat down behind Jack and Poltoius as the craft rose up off of the ground and shot into space from the hanger. Jack laughed at Poltoius, "Damn. Just launch straight out of the hanger next time."

The Doctor laughed, "You've never flown with Poltoius. You will enjoy this." He pointed back at Jake. "You will probably get sick."

Jake closed his eyes and shook his head. "I really don't know what I was thinking asking to come along. Ugh."

Jack laughed, "Yeah, a ride in space sounds like fun until the reality of what you are doing sets in-"

Jake pointed at him, "Not helping. Ass."

The Doctor laughed under his breath and pressed a button on the wall next to him. "Space Traffic Control. This is …. Ummm…" He released the button.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

"I've never named this ship. Genie was going to do it for me."

Poltoius rolled his eyes. "Fuck. Name it, 'Hermoine.' Like from Harry Potter. You can have 'Harry' and 'Ron' for the other two. Carry on."

The Doctor laughed, "Right, Space Traffic Control. This is the Hermoine. We're on our way out to Saturn and will be arriving in…."

Jack pressed a few buttons, "Seventeen minutes."

"Seventeen minutes. Is there an open com with the ship?"

Thomas Trout spoke, "No. They were talking, and have gone silent."

"Send me the transmissions before they went quiet."

"Sending them now, Doctor." A voice said.

The Doctor looked at the read outs that appeared on the screen in the wall next to where he sat. He pressed a button above his head and they heard the voice of an alien speaking a strange language.

Jack looked confused. "Streoxennue?"

"I don't think so. It sounds like… Kmehm."

Jack and Poltoius groaned as they exchanged a look.

Jake asked, "Is that bad?"

"Personal hygiene is not high on their list of priorities. Because of that, they are usually very sick."

"Patient Zero of three plagues. Do we have to go out here to deal with this?" Jack complained.

"That's the reason I had us bring this ship. It's fast and has a hell with a field around it."

Poltoius nodded his head. "That's true. I'd much rather be in this than anything else in that hanger. Even my son's ship."

Jack nodded his head. "Right. Well, ugh. What the hell is their problem I wonder."

The Doctor rubbed his head as he looked at the read outs on a screen in the wall next to him. "This isn't telling me anything. We'll have to wait until we are closer. It's just a general distress call. Looks automated."

Poltoius pressed some buttons as he looked through the windshield into the blackness of space. "Automated is usually not a good sign, John."

"Very true." He mumbled as he looked at the readings. "Ah. We'll just have to wait." He turned off the screen and sat back. He rubbed his face and groaned, "One Christmas will be uneventful. One day."

Jack turned around in his chair and looked at him. "You know? I like you without the beard. Looks more like you."

He crossed his arms and looked at Jack. "Glad to hear I have your approval."

Jake smiled, "What did Rose say about it?"

"She told me to do what I wanted to. It was really Genie who didn't want me to shave it off. I would have had it gone months ago had she been alright with it. My Sam loves it. He's never liked the beard."

Jake rubbed his chin. "I've thought about a beard. What do you think, Jack?"

Jack looked back at Jake. "That would be pretty hot. Go ahead. I can think of some uses for that."

The Doctor moaned, "Gross. Do I have to hear this?"

Jack laughed. "Oh, this is awesome. Tell me, Doc'. What do you think about a kilt?"

"A kilt?"

Jake nodded his head. "Oh yes. Rose would probably like that."

He pointed to himself. "I'm a Time Lord. We wear long, red robes. Not short, plaid skirts. No."

Poltoius laughed under his breath. "I love this assignment."

Jack teased, "Not even for Rose?"

He thought and smiled, "She said she prefers me in jeans. Or out of them for that matter."

Jack laughed loudly.

The Doctor chuckled, "Sorry. I was talking to her and didn't realize I had said it until it was already said."

Poltoius, Jack and Jake laughed hysterically at him.

He rolled his eyes. "I believe she did that on purpose. That woman. She's laughing at me, too."

Jack shook his head, "You know, I had a talk with her tonight. She's isn't comfortable talking about her immortally. Is she?"

The Doctor looked back at Jake and shook his head. "No. Not at all. She's frightened of it."

Jake nodded his eyes. "She has good reason to be. That is terrifying."

Jack pointed at Jake. "You've seen her as the Bad Wolf?"

Jake nodded his head. "Yes. Several times. I'd be happy to never see that again. Fucking hell."

Poltoius nodded his head, "I've never seen it, but I've heard of it from the Guard. It's something we aren't supposed to discuss. Is that different now?"

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "We probably shouldn't talk about it. Let's keep that rule."

Poltoius nodded his head. "I'm good with that."

The Doctor leaned back in the chair and ran his hands across his face. "Ugh. I wish I hadn't drunk so much."

"Just dump it." Jack told him.

At the look on Jake's face, he explained, "He can drop the feeling of drunkenness whenever he wants. I have no idea how he does it-"

"Ah, but if I do that now, I'm going to have a headache like you wouldn't believe. You would think I would know better."

Poltoius shrugged his shoulders, "Ah, you were celebrating Christmas. You didn't expect this."

The Doctor smiled, "That's what I'm saying. This seems to be the norm for how I celebrate that holiday."

"What did you get Rose for Christmas?" Jack asked.

The Doctor smiled, "Lingerie. A lot of lingerie. That's what she asked for."

Jack closed his eyes and shook his head. "I did ask. Ugh. Did she get you some?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "No!"

Jack's eyes lit up, "Hell! She doesn't know about that shop on Plentitude does she!?"

Poltoius laughed while the Doctor crossed his arms and smiled, "She doesn't. She doesn't need to know."

"Oh! I'm going to take her there next time we're there. Oh, you just wait! We'll get you sorted, man."

"I don't need to be sorted."

Jake was laughing under his breath. "This is great. I even know about that."

The Doctor closed his eyes as he shook his head. "I don't want to know why."

Poltoius laughed, "Just like one of those guys from Ent."

Jack pointed at Poltoius. "Exactly!" They both laughed hysterically.

The Doctor rolled his eyes and looked back at Jake. "Humans are deuterostomes, which means that when they develop in the womb, the anus forms before any other opening. So, at one point, they were nothing but an asshole. Some humans apparently never grow out of that." He pointed at Jack.

Jack winked at him. "Don't worry, mate. We have years to get her to that shop. Oh yes. My new mission in life."

A sensor began to beep inside of the cabin of the ship. Poltoius pressed a few buttons and they slowed down and stopped. The rings of Saturn could be seen through the windshield of the ship. A small, silver ship floated in front of them. The Doctor turned and pressed some buttons to contact the ship.

Jack read some instruments on his panel. "This is reading that there are no life signs."

The Doctor nodded his head. "I'm picking up the automated distress signal still. This is familiar. Why is this familiar?"

Jake sat back and crossed his arms. "You said it was Kmehm? Where are they from?"

Jack suddenly realized what was happening. He sat up quickly and pointed at the ship. "That's a Turviosz Ship. Are our shields completely up?"

Poltoius nodded his head. "They are. 100%."

"Shit." The Doctor said simply. "That's why it seems familiar. This is where they would be."

Jake shook his head. "Alright. I'm not following. Can someone fill me in?"

Jack turned to him and explained. "The plague of Earth that occurs in a few hundred years started from a Turviosz Ship that crashed in the Pacific Ocean. This is them."

"But, they are early." Jake said.

"No, it will take them hundreds of years to drift towards Earth and get caught in their gravity. Wow. We could stop this here. Poltoius, tell me there is an Ion Blaster on this ship."

Poltoius was already turned in his seat, typing something on the keyboard of the wall. "Plasma Cannon. Yes."

"Oh, that's better, then."

"Blowing that ship up won't cause this area to become infected?" Jake asked.

"Nah, the germs will burn in the explosion. But, first." He typed in something on his panel. "I'm going to copy the history of where the ship has been. Hopefully, it hasn't passed by anyone lately."

Jack nodded his head. "Good idea. That could be very bad."

The Doctor looked at the screen and nodded his head. "And….. okay. I've got it. Poltoius, fire whenever you are ready."

Poltoius nodded his head as he shot the Plasma Cannon. The ship exploded in a ball of fire. Jack sat back. "I have to say, that makes me feel a hell of a lot better knowing that isn't coming now."

"Me too." The Doctor agreed. "Alright, boys. We can head home. It will take hours for the computer to sort through this information."

XxxxxxXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxx