16. A Bittersweet Christmas
Tory slowly open her eyes, looking around.
"Hey, you're awake," Astrid said as Tory tries to move. "Don't force yourself. Just lay down. You can eat first. Here." She lend some food and water. "Here."
"Thank you." Tory slowly drink and eat some food Astrid gave. It tastes good.
"I'll talk to your brother first," Astrid remarked as she stands up and brings him some food. Tory prefers to watch, trying to be focus on her surrounding.
Then, there's a banging on the door and the Doctor drops his food and grabs Tory's hand, rushes to the opposite door. "A Host! Move! Come on!"
The pounding continues on the door, which dents from the force. Astrid screams and they all follow the Doctor to the opposite side. The Doctor uses the sonic screwdriver on the door and it opens to reveal a space that runs the height of the ship. The only way across is a makeshift bridge, created by a fallen strut below which are the engines.
"Is that the only way across?" Rickston asked.
"On the other hand, it is a way across," the Doctor replied.
"The engines are open," Astrid stated.
"Nuclear storm drive," Tory realized. "As soon as it stops, the Titanic falls."
"But that thing, it'll never take our weight," Morvin argued.
"You're going last, mate," Rickston commented.
"It's nitrofine metal. It's stronger than it looks," the Doctor said.
"All the same, Rickston's right. Me and Foon should..." Morvin steps on a weak piece of metal near the edge, the railing gives away and Morvin falls towards the engines with a scream. Tory gries to levitate him, but she's too weak to use her power as she grunts in pain.
"Morvin!" Foon screamed with others watch in shock and horror.
"I told you! I told you!" Rickston yelled.
"Just shut up! Shut up!" Mr. Copper snapped as he tries to calm the shaking Tory.
"Bring him back! Can't you bring him back?" Foon begged to the Doctor. "Bring him back, Doctor!"
"I'm sorry, I can't," he sadly said.
"You promised me!"
"I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
A group of host is marching through the halls towards them. "Doctor, I rather think those things have got our scent," Mr. Copper informed.
"I'm not waiting." Rickston starts across the bridge.
"Careful! Take it slowly!" The Doctor warned him.
There's a rumbling as the ship rocks and Rickston is nearly knocked off. "Vot help me."
"You're okay. One step at a time. Come on, you can do it."
"They're getting nearer!" Mr. Copper told.
"Seal us in," the Doctor muttered. "Uses sonic screwdriver in the door."
"Leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?"
"Never say trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced."
"Oh. Rickston is halfway across."
"I'm okay!" Rickston informed.
"Maybe he's all right. Maybe... Maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something," Foon hoped. "I don't know. Maybe he's unconscious."
"I'm sorry, Foon," Astrid assured her with a hug. "He's gone."
"What am I going to do without him?"
Rickston reaches the other side. "Yes! Oh yes! Who's good?!"
"Bannakaffalatta, you go next," the Doctor instructed.
"Bannakaffalatta, small," he said before walking at front.
"Slowly!"
The host are pounding on the door from the other side. "They're here!" Tory told them.
"Astrid, get across right now."
Astrid stares at the Time Lords. "What about you two?"
"Just do it. Go on." Soon, Astrid starts across. "Mr Copper, we can't wait. Don't argue." Mr Copper follows. "Historian, you're next. Come on."
The young girl nods as she follows Mr. Copper and Astrid at front. She can heard the Doctor and Foon arguing behind.
"Foon, you've got to get across right now."
"What for? What am I gonna do without him?"
"Doctor! The door's locked!" Rickston shouted.
"Just think... what would he want, eh?"
"He don't want nothing, he's dead!"
"Doctor, I can't open the door. We need the whirring key thing of yours!"
"We can't leave her!" Tory argued.
"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out!"
"Mrs Van Hoff, I am coming back for you, all right?" The Doctor speaked as he starts across. The metal creaks at the weight of five of them.
"Too many people!" Bannakaffalatta remarked.
"Oi! Don't get spiky with me! Keep going!" The Doctor insisted.
"It's gonna fall!" Astrid informed
"It's just settling! Keep going!" Tory reassured them, secretly using her power to stabilize the metal. It becomes quiet as the pounding stops.
"They've stopped," Astrid noticed.
"Gone away?" Banakaffalata wondered.
But the Doctor just eyeing Tory as she looks in pain. He knows what truly happen.
"Never mind that. Keep coming!" Rickston yelled.
"Where have they gone? Where are the Host?" The Doctor asked.
Mr. Copper's looking up. "I'm afraid... we forgot the tradition of Christmas that angels have wings!" He points above. The Host are gliding down from above and encircle them.
"Information. Kill." The host reach for their halos.
"Arm yourselves! All of you!" Tory warned in panic. They all reach for pipes or bits of metal to defend themselves as the host throw their halos. They keep batting them away. Tory tries to calm down as tears slowly coming back with fear consumes her. One of it grazes at Tory's shoulder, causing her to gasped.
Astrid falls to her knees. "I can't!"
"Bannakaffalatta stop! Bannakaffalatta proud! Bannakaffalatta, cyborg!" He lifts shirt and discharges energy, disabling the host and all but one fall toward the engines. One falls onto the strut behind the Doctor.
"Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics," the Doctor addressed. "Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!"
Bannakaffalatta falls and Astrid goes to him. "He's used all his power!" Astrid remarked.
"Did good?" He asked.
"You saved our lives."
"Bannakaffalatta happy."
"We can recharge you, get you to a power point and just plug you in!"
"Too late," he sadly contended.
"No, but... you gotta get me that drink, remember?" Astrid reminded him.
"Pretty girl." With that, Banakaffalatta Dies. Astrid goes to button his shirt when Mr. Copper reaches for his power source.
"I'm sorry. Forgive me," he apologized.
"Leave him alone," Astrid cried out.
"It's the EMP transmitter. He-He'd want us to use it." Mr. Copper removes it. "I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can reuse it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all."
"Do you think? Try telling him that," Rickston scoffed as he points behind them.
They turn to see the Host that had landed on the bridge begin to move. "Information. Reboot."
"Use the EMP!"
"It's dead!" Mr. Copper told him.
"It's gotta have emergency..." Astrid takes the EMP from Mr. Copper.
The Doctor confronts the Host as Tory stands not far from him. "No, no, no. Hold on. Override loophole security protocol... 10! 666! Oh. 21, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Um, I dunno, 42!"
"One!" Tory yelled in frantic.
It stops mid-motion and stands passively. "Information. State request."
"Good... right. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?" The Doctor demanded.
"Information. No witnesses."
"But this ship's gonna fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic so that contravenes your orders, yes?"
"Information. Incorrect."
"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?"
"It is the plan."
"What plan?"
"Information. protocol grants you only 3 questions. These 3 questions have been used."
"Well, you could have warned me," the Doctor remarked.
"Information. Now you will die." The Host prepares to strike the Doctor with its halo when a lasso is thrown over its head and tightened around its body by Foon.
"You're coming with me," Foon declared, closes her eyes and jumps over the side, pulling the host with her.
"Nooooo!" The Time Lord shouted. They all watch helpless as Foon falls to her death.
Tory starts to cry more, feeling useless as she cannot do anything to save Foon. The Doctor comes to her side and quietly whispering a promise to her.
"No more."
They make it out and into another set of maintenance halls.
"Right. Get up to Reception 1. Once you're there, Mr. Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try and find a way of transmitting an SOS. Astrid, you're in charge of this." The Doctor holds out the EMP. "Once it's powered up, it'll take out Hosts within 50 yards but then it needs 60 seconds to recharge. Got it? Rickston, take this." He gives him the sonic screwdriver. "I've preset it. Just hold down that button. It'll open doors. Do not lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on! Go!"
"All right!" Rickston obeyed as he goes.
Tory takes down First Aid kit and hands it to Mr. Copper as the Doctor speaking, "Mr Copper, I need you fighting fit. Astrid, where's the power point?"
"Under the comm.."
They run to the power point and the Doctor shows her how to recharge the EMP. "When it's ready, that blue light comes on there."
"You're talking as if you're not coming with us."
"There's something down on Deck 31. I'm gonna find out what it is. While I'm going down, you keep an eye of my sister. She needs more rest."
"No!" Tory disagreed. "What if you meet a Host? You could be in danger!"
"Well, then I'll just... have some fun, eh?" He joked before ruffles her caramel hair. "Don't worry. I'll be back."
"Sounds like you do this kind of thing all the time," Astrid noted.
"Not by chance. All we do is travel. That's what we are, just travellers. Imagine it. No tax, no bills, no boss, just the open sky."
"I'm sort of... unemployed now and I was thinking the blue box is kinda small, but I could kinda squeeze in. Like a stowaway."
"It's not always safe."
"So you need someone to take care of you two. I've got no one back on Sto, no family, just me. So what do you think? Can I come with you?"
What do you think? The Doctor asked.
Tory frowned. Why ask me?
Well, I need your opinion.
I don't mind... if Astrid will accompany us. She's nice.
He nods to Tory before smiles at Astrid. "Yeah, I'd like that. Yes."
The ship lurches again and the Doctor stands and speaks into the comm.. "Mr. Frame, you still with us?"
"It's the engines, Sir. Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've got only 8 minutes left!"
"Don't worry, I'll get there."
"The bridge is sealed off!"
"Yeah, yeah, working on it. I'll get there, Mr. Frame, somehow." He checks the EMP. "All charged up? Mr. Copper, look after her and Historian. Astrid, look after him and Historian. Rickston, um... look after yourself. And I'll see you again, promise."
He starts to leave but Astrid stops him. "Hold on! There's an old tradition on Planet Sto..."
"I've really got to go."
"Just wait a minute!" She grabs the First Aid kit from Mr. Copper, sets it on the floor in front of the Doctor, stands on it and kisses him. Tory mouthing 'wow' upon that.
The Doctor looks bewildered. "Yeah, that's a very old tradition, yeah." With that, he runs off.
"See you later!" Astrid shouted
He stops and turns. "Oh, yes!" He leaves again.
Astrid, Mr. Copper, and Rickston continue upward to Reception. Rickston opens a door with the sonic screwdriver and comes upon Host. "Do it!"
Astrid uses the EMP and the Host collapse. They stand stunned before cheering and laughing. "We did it!" She cheered to Tory before hugging her in excitement.
Astrid, Tory, Mr. Copper, and Rickston arrive in Reception. Astrid uses the EMP to take out the Host waiting there. "Rickston, seal the doors, make the room secure. Mr. Copper, keep an eye on the Host. Tory, come with me," she ordered as she gives Mr Copper the EMP. "I need to check the computer. We need that SOS."
The computer is down and Astrid slams her fist in frustration. Turning, she sees the teleport bracelets. She calls the bridge. "Bridge, this is Reception!"
"Who's there?"
"Astrid Peth and Tory. We were with the Doctor. Tell me, can you divert power to the teleport system?"
"No way. I'm using everything I got to keep the engines running."
"It's just one trip. I need to get to Deck 31."
"And I'm telling you no."
"Mr. Frame... this is for the Doctor. He's gone down there on his own, and I... I can't just leave him. He's done everything he can to save us. It's time we did something to help him."
"...Giving you power."
"Astrid," Tory called before wincing. Her head hurts again.
Astrid turns on the teleport and grabs a bracelet. Mr. Copper soon comes back. "Just wait here," she promised her. "I'm gonna find him." She glances at Mr. Copper. "Take care of her."
He nods. "Good luck."
Astrid teleports away.
Tory, Mr. Copper, and Rickston holding each other hands as the computer keep announcing how the ship's condition just getting worse. No long after, the ship start to fall down, right at Earth. They cling to the furniture, trying to keep themself from getting hurt or danger.
Tory hold her hands on the floor, forcing herself to uses her power. At least, to slow down the impact. She's hoping the Doctor can stop this as soon as possible.
"HOLD ON!" She yelled to Rickston and Mr Copper as the falling just getting faster, despite her effort to slow it.
They get thrown a little as they landing below with safety. Once it stops, Tory slowly stands up, smiling as everything turns to be fine.
The Doctor runs into Reception, his hand out. "Rickston! Sonic!" Rickston throws it and he catches it. "Mr. Copper, the teleports, have they got emergency settings?"
"I don't know. They should have," he guessed.
"She fell, Mr. Copper. She fell," he told him. Tory gasps, realizing Astrid was dead. "What's the emergency code?"
"Uh, let me see..."
"What the hell are you doing?" A young man asked the Doctor. Judging from his vice, he must be Mr. Frame.
"We can bring her back," the Doctor told him, begins to work on the teleport.
"If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis so that we can just trigger the shift," Mr. Copper remarked.
"There!" He stands and turns around. A glowing, transparent Astrid appears.
"I'm falling."
"Only halfway there. Come on." He adjusts inner workings of the teleport.
"I keep falling."
"Feed back the molecule grid, boost it with the restoration matrix," he said as the teleport sparks. "No, no, no, no! Need more phase containment."
"Doctor..." Tory called, but he snaps.
"No! If I can just link up the surface suspension..."
"Doctor, she's gone," Mr. Copper announced, holding the girl's hand to stop her from shaking.
"I just need to override the safety. I can do it."
"Doctor, let her go."
The Doctor turns to face Astrid's ghost-like figure. He kicks the teleport in frustration. "I can do anything!"
"Stop me falling."
The Doctor walks towards her while the others watch. Mr. Copper stands beside him. "There's no enough left. The system was too badly damaged. She's just atoms, Doctor. An echo with the ghost of consciousness. She's stardust."
The Doctor and Tory walk closer. "Astrid Peth... citizen of Sto... the woman who looked at the stars and dreamt of travelling. There's an old tradition," the Doctor muttered as he leans down and kisses her. "Now you can travel forever."
Tory immediately opens a window behind her as she turns into motes of light. Her eyes still fill with tears. "You're not falling, Astrid Peth. You're flying," she whispered with the lights go out the window, leaving the Doctor, Tory, Rickston, Mr. Copper and Frame.
No long after, Frame updates the others. "The engines have stabilized. We're holding steady till we get help and I've sent the SOS. A rescue ship should be here within 20 minutes. And they're digging out the records of Max Capricorn. It should be quite a story."
"They'll want to talk to all of us, I suppose," Mr. Copper commented.
"I'd have thought so, yeah."
Mr. Copper wanders over to the Doctor who is staring straight ahead, his face expressionless. Tory just stands beside him, still crying. "I think, uh, one or two inconvenient truths might come to light. Still, it's my own fault, and then years in jail is better than dying," the older man noted.
Rickston comes over. "Doctor... Tory... I never said... thank you." He hugs him. "The funny thing is... I said Max Capricorn was falling apart. Just before the crash, I... sold all my shares, transferred them to his rivals. It's made me rich. What do you think of that?"
The Time Lords stare at him with deadpanned expression.
Rickston's phone rings. "Salvain? Those shares, I want them triple-bonded and locked," he told as he walks away.
"Of all the people to survive, he's not the one you would have chosen, is he?" Mr. Copper sighs. "But if you could choose, Doctor, if you decide who lives and who dies..." he shrugs. "That would make you a monster."
The Doctor looks at Mr Copper, curious at the insight. He sighs. "Mr. Copper..." he gives the teleport and takes two bracelets. "I think you deserve one of these."
Mr Copper smiles and puts on a bracelet. Frame sees and mouths 'Hey' as he stands. Mr. Copper chuckles while Tory just shook her head as the Doctor starts the machine.
Before they disappear, Frame salutes and the Time Lords salutes back.
Somewhere in an open space in London the TARDIS is waiting. The Time Lords and Mr. Copper walk across in what appears to be falling snow.
"So, Great Britain is part of, uh, 'Europee' and just across the British Channel you've got Great France and Great Germany," Mr. Copper concluded.
"No, no, it's just France and Germany. Only Britain is great," Tory corrected.
"Oh, and they're all at war with the continent of Ham-erica?"
"No, well... not yet, uh... could argue that one," the Doctor remarked as they arrives at the TARDIS. "There she is." He pats it. "Survive anything."
"You know, between us three, I don't even thing this snow is real. I think this is the ballast from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere."
The Time Lords are looking up. "Yeah. One of these days it might snow for real," the Doctor murmured.
"So, I... I suppose you'll be off."
"The open sky."
"And, uh, what about me?"
"We travel by ourself. It's best that way."
"What... What am I supposed to do?"
That gives him an idea. "Give me that credit card."
Mr. Copper hands it over. "Well, it's just petty cash, spending money. It's all done by computer. I... I didn't really know the currency so I thought a million might cover it."
"A million? Pounds?" He asked.
"That enough for trinkets?"
"Mr. Copper, a million pounds is worth 50 million credits."
"How much?"
"50 million and 56."
"I... I've got money!" Mr. Copper realized
"Yes, you have." He hands back his credit card.
"Oh my word. Oh my Vot! Oh my goodness me! I... Ya-ha!" He cheered.
"It's all yours Planet Earth. Now that's a retirement plan. But just you be careful, though," the Doctor suggested.
"I will. I will. Oh, I will."
"No interfering. I don't want any trouble. Just... just have a nice life."
"But I can have a house, a proper house, with a garden, and-and a door, and... Oh, Doctor, Tory, I will made you two proud." He hugs the Doctor and Tory together. "And... And I can have a kitchen with chairs, and windows, and lace..." he skips off, laughing.
The Time Lords unlocking the TARDIS, before they pause. "Um, where are you going?" Tory quietly asked.
Mr. Copper chuckles. "Why, I have no idea!"
"No, me neither," the Doctor agreed, unlocks TARDIS.
"But, Doctor... Tory..." Mr. Copper paused. "I won't forget her."
At the door, the Time Lords nods, looks up at the sky and sees a blue streak of light zigzag across. They look back as Mr. Copper skipping away. "Merry Christmas, Mr. Copper," they said in unison as they steps inside and the TARDIS dematerialises.
"Now... can you please tell me what was that all about?" He asked her as he's scanning her body.
Tory glances at him as she lay down on a bed in TARDIS medbay. "I don't understand."
"Historian, I saw what you did today. You kept used your power more often than you normally did. Even while I told you to stop, you still did it," he mentioned. She starts to avoid his gaze. "Please, tell me. What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong," Tory insisted. "I'm just used my power."
"To the point you got fainted?"
She didn't reply. The Doctor just sighs in tiredness.
"I wanted to save them," she whispered.
The Doctor glances at her. "What?"
She looks at his eyes, tears coming. "I wanted to save them from dying. That's why I kept using it despite got tired. I must save them. Because if I don't... them I'm just as bad as Rickston Slade." She laughs bitterly. "I'm just useless."
"No, you're not useless."
"Yes, I am! I barely can use my power more than twice! I cannot save Morvin, Foon, Bannakaffalatta, Astrid, and the rest of the passengers! I got sicked as everyone died! What's the point of having a power if I cannot save people's life?!"
The Doctor stares at her, just silent of her confession.
How can he blind? He should knows that Tory had felt like that ever since regeneration, ever since Utopia. He should saw the signs. How she barely speaks and prefer to be quiet, hugging herself more often, scared of people's shouts and loud noises, and often crying way often. And her time during The Year That Never Was with Martha clearly didn't helping at all. It might make it worse than ever.
This Historian is way too scared and insecure at herself.
And this all happen... because of his fault. Because he made Harriet Jones lost her position as Prime Minister, he also made the Master got a chance of ruling Britain. He made Tory experienced harsh things in this body. Martha might had some part of caused that, but he can't blame her entirely. He still had a part of making Tory changed into a different girl.
The Doctor slowly hold her hand. "Historian... all of that happens by itself. You cannot change it. You can't blame yourself from that."
"Yes. I should be!"
"No. You don't. Because it's not your responsibility to do that. You shouldn't swallow in your worthlessness for unable to move on. If we cannot move forward... then nothing can be start."
The girl chuckles at little, notices her words when facing Mr. Finch. "Using my own words againts me?"
"But that's true." He slowly help her to sits up and he gently hugging her while stroking her caramel hair. "I won't lie. This will be hard to get uses to. But we can do this together."
Tory just simply hugging back. It's easier say than done. She doesn't know if they can deal with her newness.
But if it can make it better... then she'll handle it. Together.
Note: TO BE CONTINUE IN UNVEIL THE TRUTH!
Poor Tory. She feels immense guilty over people's death, both at Titanic & The Year That Never Was, despite none of that was her fault, to the point she force herself to use her gravity power. But it must be address eventually, because she kept it for quite some time. It's not healthy for her to keep this by herself. She needs support.
Which is why, I cannot wait to write the next one! Ten & Donna are a great combo, and having these two together will help to the dynamic with Tory as well, especially later at Stolen Earth & Journey's End!
See you guys at next book!