I own nothing except for Freya :) Hope you enjoy this chapter, please read and review xoxox
42
"Distress signal! Locking on!" The Doctor yelled as both he, Martha and Freya held onto the controls tightly. The TARDIS stopped shaking and Freya sighed in relief. "Might be a bit off - " there was another violent shake and Freya - who had let go of the controls because she thought it had been over - was thrown to the floor. "Turbulence. Sorry!" The doctor said, running to the door as the two girls got to their feet. "Come on, you two, have a look!"
Freya shook her head, smiling fondly - she will never get used to him. She followed him to the door as Martha rolled her eyes and did the same.
"Whoa! Now that is hot!" Was the first thing the Doctor had said as he stepped out while the girls immediately took of their jackets.
They had landed in a small engine room that was glowing red from extreme heat.
The Doctor bent slightly to examin a piece of equipment. "Venting systems. Working at full pelt. Trying to cool down…uh, where-ever it is we are. Well! If you can't stand the heat…" He tailed off, walking towards a heavy looking door. Outside the room was still hot but considerably cooler than in the engine room. "Well, that's better."
"OI! YOU THREE!" A man yelled at them as he and two other people ran towards them.
"Get out of there!" A women yelled.
"Seal that door! Now!" The Man yelled but the three were too stunned to move so the men ran straight past them to do it themselves.
"Who are you?" the women asked. "What are you doing on my ship?"
"Are you police?" the man asked while the other kept quiet.
"Why would we be police?" the doctor asked bewildered.
"We got your distress signal." Freya told them.
"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?"
The women sighed. "It went dead four minutes ago."
"So, maybe we should stop the chatting and get to engineering, Captain." The last man suggested.
"Secure closure active." The computer said just before loud clanging noises came from down the corridor.
"What?" The captain exclaimed.
"The ship's gone mad!" The second man yelled as a women ran down the corridor towards them, just making it through the doors when they slammed shut behind her.
"Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked in to area 27." She said, just as the closest door towards them slammed shut, locking them in area 29. She frowned when she saw the Doctor, Martha and Freya. "Who are you?"
"I'm the Doctor, this is Freya and that's Martha." The Doctor said as Martha walked closer to the windows.
"Impact projection: 42 minutes." The computer said.
"We'll get out of this. I promise." The captain said to her crew as Martha's eyes widened by what she saw. After seeing this, Freya walked over to see what was wrong. She looked out of the window and her heart(s) dropped.
"Doctor..."
"Forty-two minutes 'til what?" the Doctor asked, not liking the fear in Freya's voice.
Freya let out a shaky sigh. "Doctor, you really have to see this."
The Doctor ran towards her and looked at the window, he gripped Freya's hand so tightly that she couldn't feel it.
"Forty – two minutes until we crash into the sun." The captain said quietly.
The Doctor moved away from the window and walked over to the captain. "How many crew members are on board?" he asked, sounding panicked.
"Seven, including us."
"We transport cargo across the galaxy. Everything's automated. We just keep the ship - " The second man started to say but the doctor cut him off.
"Call the others, I'll get you out!" He said, running to the door that had the TARDIS was in.
"What's he doing?" The first man yelled.
"No! Don't!" The captain shouted as the four of them ran to stop him but it was too late. It had become so hot in that room that the pure force knocked the doctor backwards off his feet. One of the crew members shut the door while everyone else crowded round the doctor.
"But my ships in there!" The Doctor yelled as Freya and Martha helped him up.
"In the vent chamber?"
Freya shrugged. "It's our lifeboat."
"It's lava."
"The temperature's going mad in there! Up 3000 degrees in ten seconds, and still rising." The women said with a sigh.
"Channelling the air. The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get." The first man said.
"We're stuck here?" Martha asked nervously.
"So? We fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the Sun! Simple! Engineering down here, is it?" The doctor said, running down a corridor with the crew, Martha and Freya following. They ran down some stairs before the doctor stopped suddenly. "Blimey! Do you always leave things in such a mess?"
The captain gasped. "Oh my god!"
"What the hell happened?" the second man snapped as they walked closer to the completely wrecked engine.
"Oh, it's wrecked." The first man said and Freya rolled her eyes.
"We hadn't noticed before, thanks." She said sarcastically and he shot her an amused look.
"Pretty efficiently. Someone knew what they were doing." The Doctor said, walking over to a computer terminal.
"Where's Korwin?" the captain asked, looking around. "Had anyone heard from him or Ashton?"
"No."
"Why would someone do this on purpose?" Martha asked the Doctor quietly as the captain ran over to an intercom system.
"Korwin? Ashton? Where are you?" she asked through it but got no answer. "Korwin, can you answer?" Still no answer so she left the intercom. "Where the hell is he? He should be up here!"
"Oh! We're in the Torajji system! Lovely!" The Doctor said happily. " We're a long way from Earth. Half a universe away."
He walked away from terminal. "Yeah." Freya whispered.
"And, you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?" the Doctor asked the crew, who looked at each other guiltily.
"We're due to upgrade next docking." The captain said dismissively, walking away from the group of time travellers. "Scannell, engine report."
Scannell walks over to the computer terminal the Doctor was at before. He scans, with everyone looking anxiously over his shoulder.
"No response." He said before running over to the wrecked engine.
"What?
"They're burnt out. The controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."
The Doctor took off his glasses. "Oh come on! Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries!"
"We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship." The captain said.
"Yeah, with 29 password sealed doors between us and them. You'll never get there in time." Scannell said.
"Will we be able to use to sonic screwdriver?" Martha asked the Doctor but before he could reply Scannell carried on.
"They're deadlock sealed." He said, not even looking up and the Doctor sighed.
"No." He whispered and she sighed.
"Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."
"Oh listen to you! Defeated before you've even started! Where's your Dunkirk spirit?" The Doctor said before looking at the captain. "Who's got the door passwords?"
The first man spoke instead. "They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of 'em. Sorry. Riley Vashti."
"Then what're you waiting for Riley Vashti, get on it."
"Well, it's a two-person job." Riley said, picking up a huge magnetic clamp and a huge backpack. "One, it takes to answer the questions, and the other to carry this." He guestures to the kit on his back. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh captain?"
"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh Riley?" the captain said.
Riley scoffed. "Try and be helpful, get abuse. Nice!"
Freya took the equipment from Riley's hand. "I'll help."
"It's remotely controlled by computer panel. That's why it needs two." Riley said turning away from the group and Freya went to follow him.
"Oi." The Doctor said suddenly and Freya turned. "Be carefull."
Freya smiled at him. "I always am," she said, ignoring his raised eyebrow as she left with Riley.
...
"Heat shields failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32.50." The computer said as Freya and Riley arrived at the first door.
Freya tapped her foot impatiently as Riley spent what felt like forever typing. "Hurry up, will ya!"
"Alright." Riley stopped typing. "Fix the clamp on!"
Freya lifted up the clamp, attatched it firmly to the door and held it there. She turned to see Riley typing even more. "What are you typing?"
"Each door's trip code is the answer to a random question set by the crew. Nine tours back, we got drunk, thought 'em up. Reckoning was if we're hijacked, we're the only ones who know all the answers." He explained.
"So you type in the right answer…"
Riley tapped the backpack he brought along. "This, sends an unlock pulse to the clamp. But we only get one chance per door. Get it wrong, the whole system freezes."
"Don't get it wrong then."
He shifts over to a readout screen, where the first question is appearing, he reads it out."Date of SS Pentallian's first flight? That's alright!" He typed in the right answer and turns to Freya. "Go!"
Freya pressed to trigger on the clamp and in beeped a few times. The lights on the top of the clamp turned green and the door opened.
"Yes!"
"Only twenty-eight more to go!" Riley said happily as they ran for the next door.
...
"Freya? Riley? How're you doing?" the Doctor asked over the intercom.
"Area twenty-nine, at the door to twenty-eight!" Freya called back.
"You've gotta move faster!"
Freya rolled her eyes. "We're doing the best that we can!"
The next question appeared on Riley's readout.
"Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367… what?"
Freya's eyes widened. "You said the crew knew all the answers!"
"The crew's changed since we set the questions." Riley admitted and Freya groaned.
"You're joking…"
"379!" The doctor answered.
"Are you sure?"
"It's a sequence of happy primes. 379." The Doctor said, Riley and Freya shared a confused look.
"Happy what?"
"Just enter it!"
"We only get one chance." Riley said and the Doctor sighed in annoyance.
"Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now type it in!" The Doctor said, speaking at one hundred miles per hour.
Riley typed in the answer the Doctor had given him. Both of them sighed in relief when the lights turned green and the door unlocked.
"We're through!" Freya yelled for the Doctor to hear.
"Keep moving, as fast as you can! And, Freya, be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."
Freya cringed. "Thanks for that, I'm going to be jumpy all the time now!"
"Impact in 30. 50." The computer said as Freya and Riley prepared on the next door.
Riley groaned as he read the next question. "This is a nightmare." He said before reading the question out. "Classical music. Who had the most pre-download number ones, Elvis Presley or The Beatles? How're we supposed to know that?"
"It's Elvis." Freya said quickly.
"Yeah?"
"Sister in law was obsessed with him, used to drive my brother mad."
He shrugged before typing it in and they ran for the next door. When they were half way there when a loud scream came over the intercom.
"Doctor, what were those screams?" Freya asked nervously.
"Concentrate on those doors! You've gotta keep moving forward!" He ordered and Freya took a deep breath before doing as she was told.
"Impact in 27.06."
...
They got to area seventeen when Riley started to have trouble getting the computer terminal to work.
"Come on!" Riley snapped, hitting it. "Everything on this ship is so cheap!" The two of them froze when they heard a loud bang from down the hall. They looked in the direction it had come from warily. "Who's there?"
The banging continued. Riley and Freya shared a glance before putting down their tools to go and investigate. As they got closer, through the smoke, they could make out a male figure.
"Is that Korwin?" Freya asked Riley quietly.
"No, wait a minute..." Riley trailed off as he took a closer look at the man. He was wearing a pace helmet but Riley still recognised him and let out a breath of relief. "Oh, Ashton, what're you doing?"
"Burn with me." Ashton growled.
Freya's eyes widened but Riley hadn't noticed. "Well, if you wanna help - "
"Burn with me! Burn with me!" Ashton growled angrily, raising his hand to remove the eye shield. Riley, now knowing that something was wrong, backed up with Freya.
Freya looked around frantically, knowing that if she didn't think of something quickly then they'd be dead within a few minutes. She quickly hit a button that opened a nearby door. "Move!" She snapped at Riley as the door began to slide open. Freya squeezed through the gap. "Come on!"
Riley followed Freya into the small room and punched the key pad that closes the door. The two of them let out sighs of relief once the door was firmly closed before Riley pressed another combination on the key pad and another door next to them slid open. They quickly got in and the door closed.
"What is happening on this ship?" Riley exclaimed as they watched Ashton pound angrily at the window of the other door.
"Where are we, exactly?" Freya asked.
"Airlock sealed. Jettison escape pod." The compute said before Riley could answer her and she stared at him.
"Please tell me that doesn't mean us." She said slowly. Riley didn't answer, instead he lunged for the internal keypad.
"Pod jettison initiated." The computer said as Riley typed furiously on the keypad.
Freya noticed a small comm unit next to were Riley was working and went for it. "Doctor!" She said down it. "We're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!" She turned to Riley. "Tell me you can stop it." Once again, she got no answer.
"Jettison held." The computer said after a while making Riley and Freya smile at each other. The smiles didn't stay there for long. "Jettison reactivated." They groaned and Riley began to work again, their hearts pounding in their ears.
"Come on…" Riley whispered before coming up with an idea. "Geovinsci sequence. This'll get him." He typed something else into the keypad.
"Jettison held.Escape pod stabilised." The computer said.
"You're pretty good." Freya admitted and Riley smiled. "Let's just hope this works."
...
The Doctor ran as fast as he could, trying not to panic as he tried to get to Freya on time.
"That's enough!" He yelled as he ran through the door from area seventeen. Ashton turned to him. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!" Rather than answer him, Ashton turned, and put his fist through the keypad.
...
"Jettison activated." The computer told Riley and Freya inside the pod. Riley stared at the keypad in horror.
"He's smashed the circuit. I can't stop it." He whispered and Freya felt physically sick. They were going to die...
"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod." The computer said and Freya felt a tear drip down her face as she looked out of the window. She sat up straighter instantly as she saw the Doctor through the window.
"Doctor!" She yelled.
He mouthed something back and she frowned.
"Freya, it's too late." Riley sighed softly but she ignored him and kept her eyes on the Doctor. He had never let her down before.
"I can't hear you!" She yelled.
He mouthed it again as they began to leave the ship. He repeated it again and again, and Freya rested her forehead on the window as she finally got what he was saying. She just hoped he could save them in time.
...
"The wonderful world of space travel. The prettier it looks, the more likely it is to kill you." Riley said as he looked out of the window sometime later.
"The Doctor will save us." Freya said firmly.
Riley shook his head. "Nah, it's too late. Out heat shields will pack in any minute, then we go into free fall. We'll fall into the sun way before he has a chance to do anything."
"You don't know him. He won't just leave me to die."
"I've never found anyone worth believing in like that." Riley studied her and she turned to face him.
"No girlfriend? Boyfriend?"
"The job doesn't lend itself to stable relationships."
"What about family then?"
"My dad's dead. And I haven't seen my mum in… six years. She didn't want me to sign up for cargo tours. Things were said, and since then… all silent. She wanted to hold on to me, I know that. She's so stubborn!"
Freya sighed, trying to ignore the tightness in her chest. "That's family for you."
"What about you?" Riley asked.
"Dead mum. Dead dad. Sister who abandoned me when I was little." Freya whispered before smiling. "Best brother in the world. Gave up everything he wanted so I could have everything I wanted. He's got his own life now, including a beautiful baby girl. They're never going to know that I'm gone. I could've just gone missing and he'll...he'll never know the truth." Freya had never really cried that often, but ever since meeting the Doctor she seemed to be crying a whole lot.
"Call them." Riley suggested and she paused before quickly taking her phone out of her pocket.
...
Jayden picked up his phone from his desk. "Hello?" He said.
"Hi Jay." He recognised his sister's voice instantly.
"Hey, how are you?"
"Erm..." she muttered and he frowned. It sounded like she'd been crying. "I just...I wanted to hear your voice."
"Are you okay?" he asked, feeling the eyes of his best friend still on him but he didn't look up. "Freya, what's happened?"
"Nothing." She insisted but he didn't believe her. "Just remember that I love you, okay. Don't ever forget that."
"Freya?" he got no answer and it took him a second to realise that she'd hung up on him.
"What's wrong?" his friend asked and Jayden frowned.
"I don't know."
...
After a few minutes of silence the pod suddenly started going back. Riley and Freya looked at each other before Riley looked at the keypad. "We're being pulled back!" He exclaimed happily and Freya let out a laugh.
"I told you!"
The two of them climbed out of the pod as soon as they were back on the ship and Freya ran out to the doctor who, to Freya's horror, was writhing with pain on the floor. "Doctor?" She crouched beside him. "Oh god, what's happened?"
She turned the Doctor over and sat him up. He opened his eyes and Freya froze when she saw that they were very bright. "Stay away from me!" He said through his teeth and she quickly backed up.
"What's happening?" McDonnell asked, appearing suddenly.
"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" The Doctor snarled and she looked shocked before regaining her composure.
"Riley! Get down to area 10 and help Scannell and Martha with the doors. Go!" She ordered and he quickly ran off.
"You mined that sun! Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!" The Doctor yelled and McDonnell frowned.
"I don't understand."
"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Freya asked quickly.
"That sun is alive! A living organism! They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's screaming!"
McDonnell looked panicked. "What do you mean? How can a sun be alive? Why's he saying that?"
"Because it's living in me." The Doctor said slowly, making both women's eyes widen.
"What have you done?" Freya whispered, looking accusingly at the captain.
"Oh my god." McDonnell whispered in realisation.
"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry!" He screamed. "You should have scanned!"
"It takes too long! We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal." McDonnell insisted as if it justified everything.
"You've got to freeze me, quickly!" The Doctor cried and Freya rushed back to his side.
"What?" She exclaimed.
"Stasis chamber! You gotta keep me… below minus 200. Freeze it out of me!" He screamed out again and Freya cringed. "It'll use me to kill you if you don't! The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-centre! Quickly! Quickly!"
"Help me!" Freya snapped at McDonnell, trying to get the Doctor to his feet. McDonnell snapped out of her shock and did as she was told.
The two of them half carried and half dragged him to the med center as the computer announced, "impact in, 7.30."
...
The Doctor screamed as they got him through the plastic covering the med center door. Freya let him go and rushed towards the statis chamber, grabbing the instruction manual. She skimmed through it quickly.
"I can do this." She whispered, trying to convince herself more than anyone else.
"Freya, where are you?" The Doctor cried out and Freya ran back to him.
"It's okay! I'm here!" She said quickly, she helped McDonnell carry him over to the statis chamber. "Stasis chamber, minus 200, yeah?"
The two women lifted him onto the bed. "No, you don't know how this equipment works! You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!" McDonnell insisted.
"He's not human! If he says he can survive, then he can." Freya said firmly as she began to get to work.
"Let me help you then!"
"Don't you think you've done enough?" Freya snapped, glaring darkly at the captain, her eyes flashing a golden brown. McDonnell took a step back as if slapped.
"Ten seconds. That's all I'll be able to take. No more!" The Doctor said through his teeth before screaming out. "Freya!"
"Yeah?"
"It's burning me up. I can't control it. If you don't get rid of it...I could kill you! I could kill you all!" The Doctor said in a tone that made Freya shiver but suddenly he was back to normal. "I'm scared! I'm so scared!" He sounded like a scared child.
"Listen to me, I'll make sure everything is better, just try and stay calm." Freya said calmly but the Doctor must've heard the slight panic in her voice because he took her hand. Almost like he was trying to comfort her!
"There's this process. This… this thing… that happens… if I'm about to die."
"That's not going to happen! You ready?"
The Doctor sobbed. "No!"
Freya forced back the tears that were threatening to fall down her face again. She pressed in '200' before pushing a button. Freya stepped back, watching the screen instead of watching the Doctor, trying to ignore his screams.
The statis chamber hit minus 70 degrees but then shut off. Freya and McDonnell shared a shocked look while the Doctor whimpered.
"No! Freya! You can't stop now! Not yet!" The Doctor yelled.
"What happened?" Freya asked.
"Power's been cut in engineering." McDonnell told her with a frown.
"Who's down there?"
McDonnell hesitated before sighing. "Leave it to me." She said, running from the room leaving Freya and the Doctor alone in the med center.
"Impact in 4.47." The computer announced.
Freya rushed around the Doctor, trying to get the statis chamber to start working again but everything she did wasn't making any difference. "Come on! You're defrosting!"
"Freya! Listen!" The doctor shouted out and she looked down at him. "I've only got a moment. You've gotta go!"
"No, I'm not leaving!"
"Get to the front! Vent the engines! Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!"
"I'm not leaving you!"
"You've got to! Give back what they took!"
Freya silently cried as she looked down at him. "Doctor - "
"Please! Go!"
She took a deep breath before running down the corridor. Thankfully, all of the doors were open and she had gotten to area 4 within a few minutes.
"Freya!" She heard the Doctor's voice come over the comm and she stopped.
"Doctor? What are you doing?" she asked confused.
"I can't fight it. Give it back or… Burn with me. Burn with me, Freya!" He growled. Freya's eyes widened before she carried on running, ignoring the doctors screams as she ran through the door to area 1.
"Freya!" Martha said in relief when she saw her.
"Vent the engines. Dump the fuel." Freya ordered quickly and they stared at her.
"What?" Scannell questioned.
"Sun particles in the fuel. Get rid of them." She told them but they didn't move. "NOW!" The two boys quickly got to work, looking a little frightened as Martha smirked.
The four of them held on tightly as the ship shook while they released the fuel untill they were all thrown to the floor.
"This reminds me of the Doctor's driving." Freya groaned, making Martha laugh.
"Impact averted. Impact averted." The computer said and they all let out breaths of relief.
"We're clear! We've got just enough reserves." Riley laughed as he pulled the girls to their feet and pulled Scannell into a hug.
Martha suddenly turned to Freya. "Where's the Doctor?" she asked but Freya didn't answer, she turned and ran they way she came. Martha hesitated before following.
They found the doctor on the ground, looking slightly worse for wear as he pulled himself to his feet. Freya threw herself into his arms and even though he's weak he was he lifted her from the ground and laughed with her. Martha came to a stop a few feet away, trying to push down the jealousy she was feeling.
...
"This is never your ship!" Scannell exclaimed as he and Riley stared at the TARDIS in surprise and confusion while the Doctor made sure she was okay.
"Compact! Eh! And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her." The Doctor said happily.
"Doctor, we can't just leave these two drifting about without fuel." Freya said, concerned for them.
Riley smiled. "We've sent out an official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough."
"Though how we explain what happened?" Scannell asked.
"Just tell them." The Doctor said, opening the TARDIS. "That sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."
Scannell nodded and the Doctor walked into the TARDIS with Martha following. Freya went to when Riley pulled her back.
"So… uh, you're off then." Riley asked and Freya nodded. "No chance I'll see you again?"
Freya sighed. "I don't think so, no. I'll reckon you'll find someone worth believing in."
"I think I already did." Freya hesitated for a second before kissing him. He froze in shock before relaxing into the kiss while Scannell watched on.
She smiled when she stepped back. "It was nice...not dying with you." She laughed and he laughed too before she walked into the TARDIS where Martha and the Doctor were waiting.
"What took you so long?" Martha asked suspiciously.
Freya shrugged. "Nothing much." She said casually and though Martha didn't look like she believed her she didn't comment. "How are you doing?" she asked softly when she noticed how quiet he was.
The Doctor didn't answer her. "Now! What do you say? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Cuhlhan. Fancy it?"
"Sure, sounds good."
The Doctor looked at Freya and Martha for a second before putting his hand in his pocket. "By the way, you'll be needing these." He said, pulling out two TARDIS keys.
Freya smiled while Martha's eyes went wide. "Really?" She said in shock.
"Frequent Flier's Privilege." The Doctor said, handing her her key before placing Freya's in hers. Looking her in the eye he said, "thank you."
Freya just smiled.
...
"What is that?" Riley asked, hearing a faint ringing sound. "Do you hear that?"
"Yeah." Scannell nodded and they followed the sound untill they came to the pod Riley and Freya had been trapped in. Riley looked around for a second before finding a silver phone, the words 'Jayden Calling' flashing on the screen. He glanced at Scannell, who shrugged, before answering it.
"Hello?" he said down the phone.
The person on the other side sounded confused. "Who's this?"
"My name is Riley, who's this?"
"I'm Freya's brother, is she there?"
"Erm...no, she's gone."
"...Gone where?"
"She left with the doctor a few minutes ago."
"Who's the Doctor?"
Riley frowned. "The person she's travelling with."
"Hold on a sec." Jayden said and another person came onto the phone.
"Did you just say Freya was with the Doctor?" an american voice asked.
"Yes."
"In a blue police box?"
"That's right."
"Thank you for your help." The man said before suddenly hanging up.
"What the heck was all that about?" Scannell asked and all Riley could do was shrug.
R&R