A/N: And here we have our "first episode" for the 14th Doctor for our theoretical Series 14. The monsters will return at some point, but for now, we have a pure historical "episode" to enjoy.
Summary: Suffering from Post-Companion Depression on top of a regeneration, the Doctor decides to drown his sorrows.
The groan of metal could be heard all around the two men. They were searching the rooms to look for something specific. They had to hold on to the walls so as to avoid slipping and falling on the slanted floor. The man on the left side of the wall opened the last closed door on his side.
"Gerald! It's here!"
As he finished his sentence the lights went out. The only light visible was a flashing light emitting from the open door. For a moment, the only noise was their breathing and groaning metal. And then it was like someone struck a hundred powder kegs with a flamethrower. They had to grip tighter as the hallway was splitting in half, right down the middle.
"Doctor!" Gerald called out, his hand reaching out as he was being dragged along the front half of the ship, the Doctor being helpless to do anything but go inside the room and shutting the door.
Cold Open
By Peter Ferekn
A few hours ago, the TARDIS materialized in an unused First Class room. The Doctor, having just dropped off Yaz and changed the TARDIS desk top theme after he developed a dislike to it, stepped out. He was now donning a black and yellow scarf to go with the plaid blue bathrobe, the plain red shirt, the black basketball shorts, the sandals, and the black fedora.
"The Titanic…" he muttered to himself, starting to explain the history behind it, "Construction announced in 1908, it was completed in March 1912. It began her maiden voyage ten days later only to sink a little over four days in after striking an iceberg, taking at least 1,500 people along with it. Isn't it something?"
He turned around, only to remember that he didn't have a companion anymore. His smile wavered, but he still forced it on. He was going to enjoy his vacation, damn it!
Oh, what he wouldn't give for a Yaz. Or a Bill. Or a Clara. In fact, maybe he should look for a Clara. There could be a version of her on this ship right now. Hell, the real Clara has a TARDIS, there was no way in hell she wasn't going to visit the Titanic.
Unless...she knew that was a very likely "Doctor Spot" and wanted to avoid him lest she give into temptation.
How would she feel about this body, anyway? He looked old enough to be one of the students at the university he used to teach at. At least Year 12. He wasn't sure how he felt about the stubble on his chin. He always thought that facial hair was a Master sort of thing. Maybe that's why he always subconsciously avoided it when changing appearances. That, and aside from carnies, he never met a bearded woman.
That was also something that irked him. After thirteen different bodies, he was finally a woman and now he's back to being a man! Regeneration really is a lottery, isn't it?
He still hasn't turned into a different species. He still looked human (even if humans look Time Lord, but then again, any species looks Time Lord). That in itself provided many other questions for him. Odds are, he's gonna regenerate into a nonhuman at some point. What would he be? God help him if it was an ant or a fly, or any bug for that matter.
He wouldn't mind turning into a cat. They have very easy lives.
He stepped out of the room, closing and tying his bathrobe, and immediately ran into a man strolling down the hallway.
"Pardon me! Did you happen to hear that weird droning sound?" the man asked him, not bothered by the Doctor's lack of formal clothing.
"No, I'm afraid I haven't. If you don't mind me asking, I slept for a long time. What's today?"
"It's nearly about to be the fifteenth, why?"
The man may not have felt it, but the Doctor could feel the ship shake as it hit the iceberg. Taking note, the Doctor began to walk away from the man.
"Excuse me! Excuse me, sir! What is the hurry?"
"I'm going to lay it straight...what's your name?"
"Gerald Mc—"
"Gerald, this ship is going to sink. In two and a half hours, everything around you will be underwater. In two and a half hours, fifteen hundred people are going to lose their lives either drowning or freezing to death. In two and a half hours, I will be gone. All four of me. And I refuse to leave without seeing the good stuff on this ship!"
"What makes you so certain of that?" Gerald asked, "What do you mean four of you? Who are you?"
They both stopped as they reached an intersection.
"I'm the Doctor. And I'm a time traveler, that's all you need to know, now goodbye, Gerald. I highly doubt I'll see you again."
The Doctor kept fast walking, but Gerald kept following, calling him to answer his questions.
"Doctor? You seem a bit young! What do you mean 'time travel?' You have a time machine? Like a proper HG Wells time machine?"
"Yes, he was a good fellow. I keep meaning to visit him again, but time just seems to slip away."
They were running down hallways, the Doctor continually frustrated that Gerald refused to leave him alone.
"Look, I completely understand the temptation, you meet a time traveler, you want to go on an adventure, but I am not in the mood for stragglers at the moment!"
"I never said anything about straggling. In fact, I never said anything at all! Listen, young man, I am talking to you!"
"And I'm not listening, so good night, sir!"
The Doctor slowed down a bit, knowing that Gerald was still following him. He sighed and turned around.
"I'm sorry. A lot has happened within the past day. I'm still getting used to...everything, I guess. If you have questions, I will gladly answer them."
"Thank you. So...what exactly are you a doctor of?"
"I have some outdated medical degrees, a degree that hasn't even been made yet and several in cheesemaking. But that's not why I call myself the Doctor."
"Why do you call yourself the Doctor, then?"
"Because doctors help people, and it's what I strive to do in life. At least the lives I have or will have."
"So is that what you're here for? To save the people on this ship?"
The Doctor's face gave Gerald the answer before he said, "No. I can't. Sometimes there are things that Time has set. The sinking and the lives that are lost because of it are one of them. I can change time, but only to an extent."
"But surely you can save someone."
The Doctor considered it, and thought it wouldn't be too much of a hassle. He looked at Gerald and studied him. Tall for the time period. Red hair, the lucky bastard. Sort of lanky. Pale. He'd fit right in. Nevertheless, he didn't answer, but only continued walking.
"Doctor!"
The two of them walked until the Doctor found what he was looking for. The Grand Staircase. And grand it was. It was as beautiful as it was the three other times he went on the Titanic. He took note of the time. 1:45. He had 40 minutes to get back to his room. One question…
"What room did I leave the TARDIS in?"
"TARDIS?" Gerald asked.
"My time machine...I have to find it. This whole ship is going down in forty minutes. Can you not feel the tilt?"
Now that he mentioned it, Gerald did indeed feel how slanted the floor felt. He was so deep in thought, he didn't notice the Doctor leaving to go look for it. He made a quick dash to catch up to him. They looked throughout the decks and halls, but they couldn't find the TARDIS. All the while, the ship was going underwater more and more.
The groan of metal could be heard all around the two of them. They had to hold on to the walls so as to avoid slipping and falling on the slanted floor. The Doctor, who was on the left side of the wall, opened the last closed door on his side.
"Gerald! It's here!"
As he finished his sentence the lights went out. The only light visible was a flashing light emitting from the open door. For a moment, the only noise was their breathing and groaning metal. And then it was like someone struck a hundred powder kegs with a flamethrower. They had to grip tighter as the hallway was splitting in half, right down the middle.
"Doctor!" Gerald called out, his hand reaching out as he was being dragged along the front half of the ship, the Doctor being helpless to do anything but go inside the room and shutting the door.
Gerald let go of the door and slid all the way to the back of the hallway which had water flooding in. He was shocked by the cold of the water, but he didn't gasp. It was like he felt this cold before. Suddenly, he was warm again. And notably not underwater. He opened his eyes and took in his surroundings.
The walls seemed to be glowing purple, with black circles wrapping around the room halfway from the ceiling to the floor. The ceiling looked nonexistent, with stars twinkling and moving along it. The floor was white, but it wasn't solid. It was like walking on a hard cloud. In the center was an octagonal panel with buttons, levers, dials, and wires protruding on all sides, the center of the panel being filled by a glass tube that disappeared through the center of a star cluster in the ceiling, The tube was filled with liquid that seemed to bubble up from within.
"I have to say," the Doctor muttered to himself, "I am really liking the lava lamp center. So Gerald, what do you think of my time machine?"
Gerald finally took notice of the Doctor leaning on the other side.
"I think...I'm not smart enough to be dreaming all of this...this madness."
"Madness? I've seen mad. This doesn't even come close."
The Doctor pulled a lever, and the bubbles in the tube started accelerating upwards at an incredible speed. Gerald heard the familiar droning noise he heard not just a few hours ago. He laughed and looked at the Doctor, excited that his plan was in motion.
A/N: And there is "Episode" 1, Cold Open. I wanted to do the full voyage, but I'd figure the sinking would be just the right amount of reading. The Doctor has a new companion! This time, it's a companion from history. And that companion is hiding something. For those unaware, there will be 9 more "episodes" plus a Christmas Special. See you in Episode 2.