Segment four, and boy, have our heroes got a hurdle to cross.
So let's continue.
Chapter 3: Mutiny on The Black Gold
As the skeletal pirates drew nearer, Martha turned to the Doctor. "Any ideas yet?"
"Still thinking," he whispered back.
But then, Swabb raised his laser pistol, shot into the air and called out, "Hold hard there, lads!"
As the crew halted their progress, Kaliko glowered at him. "Swabb, ya swab! Is this mutiny?"
"Yes," Martha hissed hopefully.
But Swabb shook his bony head. "Never, Captain, not mutiny."
"No," the Doctor groaned glumly.
"I just wondered if they be OilCorp spies," Swabb continued. "Mayhaps we could dispose of the bodies by putting them inside one of the oil rigs. Ya know, make it look like an accident?"
Kaliko rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmmm, you're not as empty-headed as you seems, Mr. Mate… Very well, we'll deal with 'em that way, using the rig we just keelhauled. Bring them to the bow."
"Aye, aye, Captain," Swabb said, pointing his weapon at the Doctor and Martha. But as they were pushed towards the front, Swabb leaned over and whispered, "Don't worry, Doctor, Martha. You're perfectly safe with me."
Martha glanced at Swabb then turned to the Doctor. "What's he up to?"
"Hmmm, I don't think our Mr. Swabb is all he's cracked up to be." The Time Lord's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I wonder…"
By then, The Black Gold had reached the scuttled oil rig. As Martha watched, one of the harpoon guns fired a long hose from its nozzle which imbedded itself into the side of the rig and then began to suck up the oil like milkshake through a straw.
"Excellent, me hearties," Kaliko smiled then she turned to her prisoners. "Said yer prayers yet, Doctor?"
"So… um," the Doctor replied, scratching his ear in thought. "Sorry, let me see if I've got this right. Once the rig is drained of oil, we somehow get inside it and… um… then what precisely?"
"Then me mate, Swabb will give a quick blast from his laser pistol," Kaliko continued, "igniting the remaining oil…"
"And OilCorp will find us dead inside," the Doctor finished grimly, "boiled in oil."
"That's murder!" Martha cried out.
Kaliko shrugged noncommittally. "Accidents happen, Miss Jones. Now then, me hearties, extend the plank."
One crew member flicked a switch on the control panel and behind the Doctor, a long plank slid out from the tip of the bow over the rig.
Swabb stepped towards Martha, his pistol raised. "Get ready to walk, sand-lubbers."
"Oi, careful with that," Martha scowled.
But the Doctor stepped in front of her protectively. "Uh-ah-ah, me first. Let me just say goodbye to Martha."
He threw his arm around her friend and lowered his head to her ear to whisper. "I thought Swabb would have made his move by now."
"What move?" Martha hissed back.
"He's no pirate. My guess is the only reason he thinks we're with this OilCorp must be…"
"That he is too?" Martha asked hopefully.
"Exactly, just keep your fingers crossed." He then let go of Martha and looked at Kaliko. "Okay, ready." And slowly, he made his way along the plank until he was at the end, his coat billowing in the wind like a cape.
"I like yer style, Doctor," Kaliko sneered. "Such a shame you have to die."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the Doctor yawned. Then he whipped out his sonic screwdriver and brandished it out like a dagger. "Now then, let us go or I'll destroy your entire ship."
"What?" Kaliko scoffed. "With that little thing? No deal."
"Oh I wish you weren't so obstinate, Kaliko. Oh well." The Doctor pressed the button on his screwdriver… but instead of the usual buzzing, a strained groaning coughed out of the device.
"Why isn't it working?" Martha hissed through gritted teeth.
"Patience please," the Doctor whispered back as he examined the screwdriver, holding it to his ear and shaking it. "Ah! Sand in the mechanism; hang on." He then placed the tip in his mouth and blew hard. Then after another shake, he gave the button another few presses. After a few coughs, the buzzing came again. "Ha, success!"
"And?" Kaliko asked, bemused by the sight.
"And," the Doctor said, holding out his screwdriver again and pressing the button, "Hold on tight!"
This time, the results were spectacular. Steam erupted from the engines, the skull-and-crossbones on the TV faded into static and sparks began to fly from the control panel.
Kaliko was furious. "OilCorp dog, you're damaging The Black Gold!"
"We're actually on your side, Captain," Martha shouted. "We came here to save you!"
"It's okay, Martha," Swabb called out, pointing his laser pistol at Kaliko. "The Captain's pirating days are over. I'm with OilCorp."
"Told you," the Doctor interrupted as he made his way back to Martha.
"You treacherous cur," Kaliko snarled.
"Sorry, Captain, but OilCorp promised me a new body to replace this bag of bones in exchange for your arrest." Swabb turned to the crew. "Same goes for the rest of you, me hearties, if you help me turn the Captain in."
"They'll never turn on me," Kaliko jeered, but then the crew raised their weapons and surrounded her, and her confidence fell. "Oh no."
"Thing is, Captain," the Doctor pointed out. "Swabb here seems to think Martha and I are with OilCorp too."
"You're not?" Kaliko asked.
"No."
"You mean, you're just… bystanders?" Swabb gawped.
"Pretty much," Martha replied.
"Captain, we've come here to rescue you," the Doctor added.
Kaliko's jaw dropped. "What do you-?"
"It doesn't matter, Captain," Swabb snapped. "Your time has run out. Oil rigs, ATTACK!"
At once, the remaining rigs stomped up and began shooting laser bolts from their eyes, intending to blast The Black Gold out of the sky. But the bolts were flying wild. The Doctor ducked to avoid a blast, Martha jumped aside, narrowly missing another laser and one crewmember grabbed the wheel and steered the ship away, but the rigs pursued them, blasting as they went.
The Doctor pushed Martha down as another bolt whizzed over their heads. "Lucky those rigs are not great shots."
"Define 'lucky'," Martha yelled.
As the crew ran about in panic, Swabb stared in horror. "No!" he yelled at the rigs. "No! More precision! Fire with more pre-AAAAARGGHH!" A laser hit the deck near him and knocked him back.
By then, the rigs had focused their firepower and were blasting the ship with everything they've got. Some shots hit the engines and The Black Gold began to tumble from the sky.
"We're going down!" Martha cried out.
"Roll with it, Martha!" the Doctor commanded.
Seconds later, the ship crashed into the ground, tossing up a cloud of sand. In the chaos, the Doctor was sent flying into the ship's wheel, the crew was flung off the ship, Kaliko and Swabb stumbled backwards and Martha fell onto the floor of the deck as The Black Gold's engines exploded in a cloud of smoke…