Chapter 02
Harry hovered near the controls, near to the coordinate entry panel if he was to take a guess as the Doctor moved around the controls.
"Keeping an eye on me Harry?" The Doctor queried curiously raising an eyebrow to him.
"Just want to make sure we're going when we need to Doctor," Harry answered with a smile. "I have known you, and several of your companions."
"Hmm," the Doctor muttered.
"Perhaps you should allow him space Potter?" Draco called from the bannisters around the console's edge.
"Harry is fine Mr Malfoy," the Doctor looked archly in Draco's direction. "I trust his judgement comeplet-" he paused as something on the console whistled. "ly" he said finishing his sentence.
Harry frowned slightly as several of the lights started to flash red and many of the dials started to spin around.
The Doctor started to rush around the console. "Brace yourselves, there's an impasse in the vortex!"
Harry reached out and found purchase on the console as it felt like the TARDIS collided with something and he felt momentarily weightless, an experience he hadn't felt ever until the last 72 hours or so and now felt like it was almost a normal experience. Except then he was flung back down towards the console. Only quick reflexes allowed him to twist and impact with a rolling motion onto the floor instead of the side of the console.
Harry laid staring at the underside of the spiral staircase for several moments as he felt that rush of adrenalin that usually followed such dangerous experiences and forced himself to breath through it, despite the smell of burning, smoke and...a bell tolling.
Harry pushed himself up and looked around, rushing to the Doctor's side helping him up. "The cloister bell can't be a good sign."
"How do you know about the cloister bell Harry?" The Doctor quizzed in a slightly dazed tone as pulled himself up.
"A bell signalling disaster you once told me, of the great tales of you and the TARDIS venturing out into the universe, Susan once said the toll was remorseful, an apology ahead of what will come," Harry paraphrased.
"Is that smoke dangerous?" Asked Draco some distance from them.
Harry looked down, blue smoke with green streaks was flowing around them.
"Quickly, Mr Malfoy what colour is the smoke?" The Doctor looked to Harry. "Harry?"
Harry said what he saw.
"It looks yellow to me," Draco said.
"Mr Malfoy, do not come closer, go over to the side wall, the fault locator is there," the Doctor started moving around the console; several of the panels has exploded open. "You can perceive more of the temporal spectrum, the smoke is indicative of that. You've travelled through a temporal field more, the perceptions means you're not affected, unlike Mr Malfoy who has only slightly."
Harry nodded. "What about Alison is she safe?"
The Doctor looked surprised as though he'd suddenly remembered that she existed. "She should be, the upper dimensions will have been protected."
"I'll check on Draco, it's safe to leave the smoke?" Harry asked.
The Doctor was sonicing around with a different screwdriver to the one he'd given him. "Yes, but I'll need your help Harry," he looked to him briefly.
Harry made his way from the thick smoke-ringed console which didn't move as he walked through it to where Draco was; under the stairs looking at a device secluded under there.
The machine looked like it had started out life as a computer bank from a radio telescope, or from inside UNIT's technology lab, it had a few oscilloscope screens and switches, but had been supplanted with brass connections which had allowed it to be plumbed into the roundels behind it.
An almost silent printer which had clacking keys was sat beside it with paper feeding through it and pooling on the floor.
"This is the only machine in this space Potter, is this what the Doctor was indicating?" Draco asked, his voice somewhat tense.
"You alright?" Harry asked.
Draco tensed. "This seems less dangerous than when I was with Song," he answered.
Harry nodded. "I've only been in his TARDIS a couple of times, but this sort of thing apparently happens often," Harry explained getting closer to Draco so he look at the apparatus, there was a small control panel and it seemed some sort of navigation was allowed, albeit awkwardly on the screens, looking from the small green on black screens it looked like the printer was just printing everything.
Patting down his pockets he found a notepad he'd brought with him. "Let's write down the codes."
"Can we not simply tear off the reporting?" Draco asked looking to the printer.
Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure if the Doctor needs it as a record," Harry mused as Draco picked up the reams of paper looking through it.
"That's a lot of faults Potter," Draco said as he looked through them handing the paper to Harry.
Harry skimmed through the codes and jotted down the most recent, tearing off the page and handed the notebook and pen to Draco. "I'll go and tell the Doctor the first lot, maybe just note the ones that are flashing on those screens, they seem to be suggesting some importance beyond this," Harry gestured the printer.
"Do you know what any of this means Potter?" Draco asked, not worried...exactly, but he certainly had a tone of someone out of their element, much more so than when he was on the Daleks' saucer.
Harry suspected that had been adrenalin for Draco allowing him to roll with this, now here, in the Doctor's TARDIS it was all a little surreal, for both of them. For him, it was almost like going into one of the Doctor's or Sarah's stories of their travels, and how fraught it was, how weirdly engaging everything around it was. It was...
"Be reassured that I am here, I've known the Doctor for a long time and met many of his travelling companions, we are safe enough with him, better than that version of Song, or on our own," Harry answered in a slow and he hoped reassuring tone.
Draco held his gaze for a second of so and nodded.
"Draco's looking through the fault locator Doctor," Harry began as he walked over to the console. "It's a long list, whatever we hit in the vortex was a big speed hump, if this were a car I'd think we've ripped the intercooler off, damaged the radiator and the sump's probably leaking," Harry finished as he walked through the smoke which was still pooling around the console and handed the Doctor his first page of notes.
The Doctor briefly looked at it as nodded, handing it back to him. "I'll need your help, we can put together the most basic of systems, and hopefully get us somewhere for repairs."
"You've used things like this before," the Doctor observed as Harry pulled burn out cables, stripped them with the wire cutters that the Doctor had taken out and used a laser welder to put them back together.
"Told you, when I was in the 1970s I had a lot of time on my hands," Harry paused. "The second time with Draco and Daphne was more about getting away from that. Plus there's plenty of alien technology around to play with."
"Alien technology?" The Doctor frowned looking to him with concern. "Harry?"
"With the League of Paranormal Investigations," Harry paused to look at the Doctor curiously. "My organisation, dealing with aliens and whatever else effecting the wizarding world, and vice versa," Harry said as he stood up and standing back from one panel of the TARDIS. "This all looks very damaged Doctor."
"Indeed," he sighed and looked over his shoulder. "Mr Malfoy, I expect the list is long."
Harry turned to see Draco hovering on the edge of the console's space.
"Indeed," Draco said raising an eyebrow at him. "I have made my way through the extensive list of damage, and was able to utilise the navigational input on the fault locator to expand the the information on the flashing indicators, I believe those are the most vexing?"
"Yes Mr Malfoy, Draco," the Doctor said in a breathy manner. "Please."
Draco nodded. "The light speed overdrive" Draco began the sentence awkwardly "Is damaged, the fluid links are at 50 percent capacity, the psycho-telemetric circuitry is not functional, thermocouplings are rated as red, the dimensional stabilisers show as damaged, and the main space time element is out of alignment."
The Doctor breathed a breath of air and sighed, opening up one of the panels below the console and gesturing to Harry. "You'll see a rod in the console Harry, ensure that it is seated, and be careful," he said as he opened up the console as began digging around inside it.
"Why?" Harry asked as he got down into a cross legged position.
"Knock it the wrong way and the TARDIS ceases to function as a TARDIS," the Doctor said with, upon reflection Harry considered not enough gravity.
-/
"How dangerous is this Potter?" Draco asked as he fastened up his coat.
Harry paused in thought and looked back to the console room, where the console was still in pieces, after they'd managed to get here the Doctor had taken it apart once more. "That depends, you got shot the first time you stepped onto another planet and I crashed a spaceship."
Draco looked to him. "That was a serious question Potter," he said in an annoyed tone.
Harry looked to him. "That was a serious answer," he said taking a step towards the outer doors that opened with a thunk as they approached, Harry turned back to look at Draco who was still stood straight. "We don't need to go out there."
Draco shoved his hands into his pockets and gave him a look. "I understood the instructions the Doctor gave Potter, I either exit now, or be stuck within the dimensions as this craft 'settles' while parked in its place. I know where I want to be."
"With me?" Harry asked holding out his hand.
"I'm not holding your hand," he said firmly. "After all," he smirked at Harry "I have been to an alien planet, before you."
Harry laughed and stepped out into another alien world.
-/
Draco turned as the doors of the Police Box shut behind them and Potter breathed in a breath of air.
After Potter had helped the Doctor with the console after their crash he'd explained that the rest of the dimensions were in 'stasis' preventing them from returning to their room. He had seen the annoyance on Potter's face for not being able to retrieve things, with only the clothes on their backs.
"You alright?" Potter turned to him.
"A little decorum Potter goes a long way," Draco commented idly.
"Are you alright Draco?" Potter repeated with a tone of mild sarcasm.
He smirked at Potter who was looking around the environment they found themselves in, it looked like a trash and treasure market, such as those where he occasionally found a cheap and damaged vanishing cabinet for sale. Except in a gravel pit instead of a grassy field where the trash and treasure markets were usually held.
"You are sure the Doctor will communicate with us when he is ready to depart?" Draco asked of Potter who patted a pocket.
"Gave me the phone we used, and we left a note on the console not to forget about us, after I had my hand hands in the guts of the console and you were reporting the fault locator he's unlikely to forget about us," Potter paused and gave him a look. "I rescued us from the 1970s and came to find you Draco," it sounded like reassurance.
"Let's not tempt fate a third time Potter, no one's luck holds out forever," he commented.
Potter laughed. "How morose Draco."
Draco looked at Potter, he seemed to be enjoying himself far too much.
"Enjoy it Draco, we're on another alien planet! Something we'd never get to experience otherwise," Potter said brightly and gestured up at the sky.
He followed Potter's gaze up to the purple tinged sky with slightly green clouds and felt a little dizzy at the thought, drifting and feeling a little wobbly on his feet.
Potter was suddenly taking his arm and leading him to a café, or something like it.
Then they were sat at in an outdoor seating area and Potter was talking to a floating ball about how he'd been travelling and had random currency.
"You have currency for the menu items presented, select and place currency in receptacle," the ball said dropping a container by their table.
Potter explained he had spoke a similar lie when searching for him adding "I think the air's a little thin on this planet, I've flown an aircraft quite high and felt effects like this," he paused "And also nearly suffocated before I crashed that ship looking for you."
"Your care is appreciated Potter," he said as he looked at the table, which seemed to be presenting a menu.
Potter was also studying it, and swiping between the pages, or whatever it was. "I don't see any tea."
"No," Draco said with a scowl.
-/
Harry looked around feeling rejuvenated by the water he and Draco had consumed, it was at least a recognisable quality, and they could have tea back at the TARDIS. Even just thinking that filled him with both excitement and trepidation. After everything he had heard from the Doctor, and his companions over the years, here he was.
Here they were in fact.
And there was a slight feeling of having left things in the lurch, there was LPI to think of and Daphne.
He hadn't ever, well not really, much, wanted to travel with the Doctor, he felt like he had enough complications on Earth, this was...a bit of serendipity.
"Something you are interested in human?" The being asked as he eyed what looked like the interface of a mind probe.
Harry shook his head as he turned the pieces over. "No, just looking thank you," he said as he walked onto the next stall. This had more interesting things, he recognised energy scanners when he saw then, all powered down.
A being that looked like an eye wearing a cloak, from its appearance he recognised the being as coming from Alpha Centuri, based on Sarah's description of the ambassador for the Galactic Federation. "You are curious about my items human?"
"What about power sources?" Harry asked not wishing to admit that was his biggest issue, carting around batteries for his scanners.
The being with the large eye blinked at him and gestured to another table. Harry looked over and back where he'd been and caught sight of someone looking his direction, they turned away as he looked.
Looking along the table of items Harry frowned. It all looked as heavy as what he had, and he'd probably need to take it apart to work out how it worked and whether it was going to kill him with radiation or something. He smiled and nodded. "Thank you," he looked over to where Draco was. "Might have a wander, and see what my associate is up to, thank you for your assistance."
-/
"Uncover anything of interest Potter?" Draco asked as Potter walked up to him.
"Lots of stuff of interest, but I'm used to being able to take stuff apart and trying to work out how to make it work," Potter paused. "Usually with only minor danger to myself."
"Such as the devices you used to locate me on Hyspero?" He asked Potter, pleased he remembered the planet's name.
Potter nodded. "Yeah, that's adapted from technology I had, chews through the batteries, that's the only problem," Potter sighed. "No point in picking different power sources here if they're going to run out when we're back on Earth."
"Because then you return to the same position you are in," Draco mused. "Like the phone you provided me with, utilises those muggle batteries," he commented in realisation.
Potter nodded. "Yeah, I've set the Ministry up with a solar charger," he sighed. "And lengthy instructions, fortunately those sat phones are simple and have long batteries. Have you found anything of interest?"
"I was looking curiously at some of the texts for sale at that stall, and it occurred to me-"
Potter cut him off. "Why everything's in English, and we understand everything?"
Draco nodded. "I am not ethnocentric as to think the universe speaks our language, I assume it is something the Doctor has done."
"The TARDIS," Potter said as they walked along but didn't enlighten further.
Draco followed, peeling off to look at some more items as Potter joined him after wandering off somewhere. "Have you noticed the people following us?" He asked casually as he shook his head at the person who had given him an enquiring look as Potter gestured they should continue wandering.
"Since the café," Potter commented. "Or was it sooner?" He wondered. "I admit I was enjoying myself a bit, since now that I didn't need to focus on hunting for you," he answered honestly.
Draco didn't say anything as they walked along the dusty open market's streets that were formed by the market stalls on both sides.
"As long as we stay in the open and continue to wander they shouldn't catch up with us," Potter mused to him. "Or should we apparate back to the TARDIS?"
Draco didn't want to admit that he didn't look as much as he should have around the blue box when they stepped out of it to determine an appropriate location to apparate back to. "Is it safe to?"
Potter gestured a corner to turn, as they turned left he looked across the market stalls. "There's three of them, no..."
"Six, two short...things," Draco commented, scuffing his shoes on the dirt and dust as they walked.
"Beings?" Potter wondered. "Are you willing to fight your way out?"
"If I need to Potter," Draco answered.
"Same, but I hope we don't, we've both seen what energy weapons do, me more so," he commented carefully. "There is another option, it was how I escape the spaceship."
"The one you crash landed?" Draco wondered, he had meant to ask Potter how exactly that had happened.
Draco almost tripped as Potter idly explained what he'd done. "You're insane Potter!" He hissed in surprise.
Potter turned to him. "A bit of a thrill seeker perhaps Malfoy," he gave him a look. "We're both familiar with what insane looks like."
"I regret my choice of words Potter," he began in a quiet tone. "That can't be our only option." Apparating at great height and falling and looking around.
"Well..." Potter began.
"Hello you two, enjoying yourselves?" The Doctor stepped away from a stall as Potter seemed to be formulating something else to say.
"Well, we've had a glass of water, couldn't find any tea and there's six rather burly looking people following us," Potter commented conversationally.
The Doctor gave them both a look. "Your mistake was stopping for a drink," he sighed. "Overwhelming the first trip away from Earth."
"Second," both Potter and he said together.
"Into the TARDIS," the Doctor continued. "Come on, I've retrieved the barest minimum," he turned away at a fast pace.
Draco found himself walking briskly with Potter following the Doctor as he moved and shifted through the crowds.
"How does he move so easily in that big cloak?" Potter wondered.
"Perhaps it's light weight, some distant relatives have fine silk cloaks that give them an imposing figure when they're travelling," Draco answered as he found himself panting slightly.
Potter also had sweat on his brow. "I think it's the thin atmosphere," he paused. "Or maybe that sojourn outside and what's happened after did knock us around a bit."
Then as Draco struggled to keep the Doctor within view they saw the shape of the TARDIS, the Doctor was stood with his arm on the door.
"Come along you two wizards," he said with an arched eyebrow.
It still smelt of burnt something within the space, but, Draco thought as he sat down on a stair of the spiral staircase, at least it was a sanctuary from the outside world. Potter sat down heavily next to him.
"I want you both into the medical unit for further tests," the Doctor was saying.
Potter just nodded beside him.
-/
Harry looked at the Doctor. "How thin was the atmosphere on that planet Doctor?"
The Doctor frowned. "Thinner than I was expecting, I've only ever visited in the colder season, in summer its orbit alters, hence your struggles," he paused and looked over to Draco. "Both you and Draco were affected additionally by your pursuers, a low intensity stun beam targeting human physiology," he paused. "It should have knocked you out."
"Our status as wizards perhaps?" Draco asked as he sat up from the other bed.
"Perhaps, you both have a higher degree of resistance to the depressive energy used, and I agree it was a narrow energy rating," the Doctor said stepping back.
"We've both got a bit of experience in that," Harry mused as he pushed himself off the bed. "Least it wasn't our failing faculties," he said looking to Draco. "Tea?"
Draco nodded.
"Unless you need a hand Doct-" Harry began, but the Doctor had already rushed out of the room.
-/
A/N:
Nothing terribly exciting for Harry and Draco's first adventure out of the TARDIS.
I've sidelined Alison mostly because upon rewatching Scream of the Shalka realised that having her, the Doctor, Harry, Draco and the android Master in the TARDIS is...a lot of characters for this story to contain, and not a lot of character hooks to hang their characters on. So some reduction was in order.