Beyond Babylon

Prompt: "holiday"

From: abbytemple

Words: 428

"Where are we going now, Spaceman?" Donna asked.

"I don't now!" replied the Doctor with a wide grin.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Donna's grin faded, but the excitement in her eyes remained.

"I don't know!" the Doctor cried cheerfully. "The TARDIS is taking us wherever she wants us to go!"

"But you said you'd take me to the Bahamas," Donna pouted—a trick she picked up from the Doctor.

The Doctor, knowing that Donna's pout had surpassed his own, turned away.

"Doctor," Donna said sternly. "Why aren't you taking me for my holiday?"

"The Bahamas will still be there!" the Doctor said. "But right now. . . right now. . ."

Donna stared at him, waiting for him to continue, but the Doctor said nothing. The TARDIS continued humming along, as Donna stood, her arms across her chest.

"Well?" she asked. "What is so important that I can't have my sunny holiday?"

"The time vortex is. . ." the Doctor looked puzzled for a second, but quickly lit up again. "It's unstable right now, so the TARDIS can take us anywhere, and have it be a complete surprise!"

"And?" Donna was not impressed.

"This is so rare, so. . . beautiful," the Doctor moved to stand next to Donna. "It happens once every couple hundred years."

"Oh," Donna said.

She didn't get why it was so amazing to the Doctor, why it made him act even more like a squirrel on crack than he usually did, but she didn't argue. Contrary to the belief of most who know her, Donna could be quiet and considerate. Besides, like the Doctor said, the Bahamas would still be there.

". . . and even the Boeshane Peninsula!" she heard.

"What was that?" asked Donna.

"I said," the Doctor repeated. "We could end up anywhere—the creation of the universe, Babylon, New New York, and even the Boeshane Peninsula!"

"Can't we do that already?" Donna asked.

"But this—this is completely random!" he said.

Donna felt the TARDIS stop.

"Allons-y!"

Daft Martian, she thought.

The Doctor ran out of the TARDIS, followed by (read: dragging) Donna.

She looked around. The sky was blue. But it wasn't Earth blue. It was a bright, almost electric color, seemingly shimmering. Like on Earth, there was a sun in the sky. But the sun was green. The sort of green that crayons like to advertise before not working. The ground was soft and mushy, as if she was standing on undercooked brownies. It was also purple.

"Well," she said cheerfully. "Definitely not Babylon!"

Thanks for reading! I would appreciate any prompts you may give. The story will be updated every Sunday.