Pearl took in the whole room. A bright orange glow filled it. There was a glass floor and in the center was a console that looked like a mishmash of old earth objects. Upon seeing this she began to wonder just how stable this ship was. Not only were most of the bits and pieces of machinery attached to the control panel outdated, but also terribly unreliable. There was a typewriter, parts of a gramophone, old sink knobs, and...was that a pinball machine?! Of what use could that be?! The only part that did not look like some kind of earth technology was the cylinder in the center. With it's slight glow and strangely shaped piston inside, it almost seem organic...
"So," the Doctor said with a clap, dragging Pearl out of her thoughts, "What do you think, eh? A lot to take in I presume."
"Indeed," Pearl said turning back to the console and taking a closer look at it. The Doctor's grin widened. He always loved to see the surprise on the face of those who first entered the TARDIS. He always loved to hearing those five iconic words. "How does this stay together?!" she said. The Doctor frowned. Those were not the five words he was expecting.
"Excuse me?" he said.
"Not only is the outside of your ship made of wood, but your console is a mishmash of...well, junk!" she said stretching her arms out for emphasis. "And what is this?!" she said with disgust. She had wandered around the console to find a bowl of custard sitting on the control panel.
"It's custard," he said, slightly annoyed.
"It's a safety hazard is what it is!" she said picking it up and trying to find a place for it, "If that had gotten in the controls it could have cause some serious damage to them!"
"Everyone's a critic..." the Doctor said, rolling his eyes. He then took the bowl from her to dump the rest in a trash can.
At that moment Pearl noticed the slightly annoyed look on the Doctor's face. "Sorry," she said, "I'm so used to criticizing Amethyst about how she keeps her room and on the rest of the messes she makes, I sort of do it without thinking."
"It's fine," he said, shoving the bowl into the storage unit in the base of the console, "I've gotten criticism from all my companions at some point, even this ship itself...long story, don't ask. Anyways, I'm just a little disappointed because you didn't mention how my ship was 'bigger on the inside'."
Pearl raised an eyebrow at that. "Why would I? Gems have had the technology to make items dimensionally transcendental for centuries!" she said.
"Really?" the Doctor said in a disappointed tone, "Well that just sucks the fun out of explaining it to you." "But don't worry. The ship isn't actually made of wood. It's just a disguise," he said.
"Really?" Pearl said, "it felt a lot like wood to the touch..."
"That's the beauty of the TARDIS," he said patting the controls lovingly, "She has what is known as a chameleon circuit. Within the first nanosecond of landing, she scans the entire area within several miles of landing and determines the perfect disguise to blend into its surroundings!" His eyes sparkled as he finished explaining. "And then," he said, sparkle turning to embarrassment, "It turns into a police box..."
"Why does it do that? Is is faulty?" Pearl asked.
"Yeah...the chameleon circuit broke after I landed it sometime ago..." he said continuing in embarrassment.
"Why haven't you fixed it? Do you not have the parts?" she asked.
"Weellll...No, I have plenty of parts...I've just grown to like it, ya know?" he said, "It's kind of become my symbol and blue is a beautiful color."
"You don't know how to fix it, do you?" Pearl stated more than asked.
"I can neither confirm nor deny that," the Doctor said with a wild grin.
"Pardon me for saying this...but why are people afraid of you again?" Pearl asked.
"Well, I don't mean to brag, but I can be quite intimidating when I feel like it," he said with a smirk as he straightened his bowtie.
"Uh-huh..." Pearl said, cocking an eyebrow.
"So!" the Doctor said, turning to the controls, "Anywhere in time and or space...where would you like to go?"
Pearl sat and thought. She really hadn't thought this through. Most of the planets she had been to were gem controlled. If she stepped foot on any of them, she would be captured in an instant! "How about you decide," she said, "So long as it isn't dangerous or gem controlled, I'll be willing to go there."
She immediately regretted her decision as an excited and wild smile crossed the face of the Oncoming Storm. "Pearl, you have just made my day!" he said. He then began to frantically pull levers and press buttons, running around like a child on Christmas morning. The piston in the center of the room began to move as a wheezing, groaning sound filled the air. Soon the whole room began to shake and Pearl had to grab onto the railing for support. Yup, she was definitely regretting this. "Hahah!" the Doctor said with glee, "You are going to love this!"
Pearl was not loving this though. She was trapped in a box, rocketing through time and space with a mad man to who knows where! She had no idea how to fly this thing, let alone get it to turn around. All she could do was hold on for the ride.
"Geronimo!"
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to be continued...
a/n: sorry for the wait guys! Finals were killer. Anyways, thanks for all the support. :) Hope you liked this chapter!