Wow... I honestly didn't think that this story would get so many likes in such a short time. Thank you all so much for taking the time to read, and thank you for the reviews.
Now without further adieu, welcome back to Experimental!
"Voyage of the Damned"
"So! Does anyone have any questions? Things they would like to know, before we get there?" Harry asked his crowd of eager to learn students.
A flurry of people raised their hands and Harry pointed at one of the larger men. "Yes, Chuck! What is your question?"
The man faltered somewhat. "Why can you not call me Charles? It is my name after all."
In the same energetic tone while still pointing at him, Harry retorted with, "And I have been stuck here for the last three months waiting for my ride! Life just isn't fair sometimes Chuck. That's all I have to say."
Yeah that was right. Harry had indeed been stuck on this forsaken ship for the last three months. He was glad that he had been able to convince people that he hadn't meant to stow aboard. Even luckier for Harry was that he was able to convince people that he was an expert on Earth history.
Which meant that he had managed to land a job as one the designated tour guides for Earth. Only while the Ship's historian, Mr. Copper, "specialized" in the UK area of Earth, Harry played his speciality in the United States.
Anyway, it was back to the question. "Is it true that people pay millions for the excrement of another's species?"
Harry actually had to back away in revulsion and put his hand over his mouth to keep from vomiting. "Your wording there could not possibly be worse."
"But is it true?"
Harry sighed. "It's called milk. Humans are able to use this fluid to drink or make all kinds of delicious foods."
"And they pay with millions of what they call, dollars, to get this fluid?"
'Oh gosh. The more I think about this, the nastier it feels.' "Yes… next question, please."
The other questions were far better than the one Chuck had just had. Things like the most popular form of communication, or travel, their progress on space travel. These were much easier for Harry to answer.
This was Harry's day to day life aboard the Titanic. He would give his classes; which grew a little bigger as the days went on with more and more people grew more interested in Earth's history.
After his day of teaching was over, Harry would go mingle with the others. He still didn't drink, but he did enjoy the food and the singing. The on board singer was simply amazing.
In the meantime while he waited for the Doctor to appear, Harry tried to remember as much as he could about the current adventure; which was startlingly little. There was one lady in particular that he should have remembered but couldn't.
'Alice? Astir? Aphrodite? Oh it'll come to me.'
But, Harry was able to remember a few things. For one… don't trust the Angels. Why was it, that in the Doctor Who universe, Angels were so terrifying? At least these Angels had some kind of weakness. Granted it was a weakness that he had no idea of how to take advantage of, which sucked for him.
Finally the day came. The day he finally saw that big blue box. The Tardis. Taking a look around to make sure that nobody saw him, Harry went inside. Now that he wasn't on the run from security, he was truly able to be amazed by the sheer beauty of the Tardis.
The Tardis herself seemed to be happy to see him as well. At least if the slight trill in the back of his head was any kind of sign. "It's nice to properly see you too old girl. Now if you would help me to the clothing department, I need a change of clothes. As you can see for yourself," he said, gesturing to the clothes the staff had given him to teach, "these just won't do for any party, much less a fancy one."
It turned out, that while Harry himself was able to go through the vortex alright… except for his wrist of course, his clothes were not so fortunate. Eventually, no doubt thanks to the Tardis, he found a bedroom. Lying on the bed inside, was a tux. Probably the most expensive tux Harry had ever seen in his life.
And when he put it on, he discovered that it was also the best fitting tux he'd ever had the pleasure of wearing. The only part he didn't put on was the tie. He didn't care about that so much.
Anyway, now that he was dressed and fixed his hair, Harry was ready to go back to the party and enjoy the festivities… at least until the ship would crash. Try as he did, Harry was unable to figure out how to stop it from happening.
Back out in the party Harry tried to find the Doctor in a kind of lazy fashion. He knew all he had to do was wait and listen for screams. Eventually he did, and when he looked over at it, he saw it was a bunch of posh people being soaked by their own wine. Looked to the right of them and there he was. The tenth Doctor.
Harry smirked as a plan came to mind. He walked over to the Doctor's table and said, "Causing trouble are we? Doctor?"
The Doctor stiffened slightly before he stood and turned around to look at me. "Harry." He breathed out, looking a bit paler than he remembered from the show.
Harry lost his smirk and furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't look at me like that. Please? It's a bit unsettling."
The Doctor cleared his throat and awkwardly said, "Right, right. So, uhh… when did you get here?"
"About three months ago."
The Doctor cringed. "Ooh… sorry 'bout that."
Harry shook his head. "I'm not upset with you. It's not your fault this thing didn't drop me off on the right date."
He was about to say something more when the ship's intercom sounded. "Attention, please. Shore leave tickets Red 6-7 now activated. Red 6-7."
The two the Doctor was eating with got excited and grabbed their tickets from inside their vests. "Red 6-7! That's us! Are you two Red 6-7?"
The Doctor and Harry shared a glance. "Might as well be."
On the way to the teleport pads, without looking, the Doctor quietly asked me, "Alright… how bad is this going to get Harry?"
Harry cringed at the question. "In terms of how horrible it'll be? I give it a nine out of ten."
That got the Doctor's attention as his head swung over to me. "What? Why haven't you done anything? You said you've been here three months."
"I know! And believe me I've been racking my brain over it for as long as I've been here. But this is only my second jump. When I got here I had nothing. It was all I could do just to keep them from throwing me overboard. Besides… once you see what we're up against, I doubt you'll blame me either."
The Doctor kept his frustrated stare fixed on Harry until they made it to the pads. That was also where a short haired blonde came up to him saying, "I got you that drink."
"And I got you a treat, come on." He said with a grin taking her by the hand and walking up to Mr. Copper and flashed his psychic paper. "Red 6-7, plus two."
Harry hid his face from Mr. Copper as the two of them had met several times. Mr. Copper looked at the paper and handed us three teleport bracelets. The Doctor handed one to me with a sad look in his eyes that really showed his age, and handed one to the blonde… to, to Astrid.
'That was her name! Astrid! I knew I'd get it sooner or later.' Harry thought with a smile. One that didn't last as he remembered that she had to die… there was no saving her. This wasn't like trying to save Bob or the other clerics. If Astrid lived, it would affect the Doctor's personal life.
If she lived then the Doctor might never have found Donna again. And that could not happen. It could, no, it would cause the end of reality! As much as Harry hated it, he could not save Astrid. No matter how much it killed him to do it.
Mr. Copper gave a brief little talk before they all teleported down to Earth. "To repeat, I am Mister Copper, the ship's historian, and I shall be taking you to old London town in the country of UK, ruled over by good King Wenceslas."
That was when the Doctor started to look confused. Not that Harry could blame him. After all, the Doctor was the real expert on Earth life, history and future. Mr. Copper never stood a chance.
"Now, human beings worship the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas Eve, the people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner like savages."
The Doctor looked over to Harry with a confused look on his face. Harry looked back and subtly shook his head. "Don't mention it. Not yet anyway."
Harry felt bad for the guy. He did everything he could, just to survive. Spent his whole life on Sto. Luckily after today he was gonna be the richest he'll have ever been in his whole life times ten.
"Now, stand by."
Then the little red… cactus looking thing came running up. "And me! And me! Red 6-7"
"Well, take a bracelet, please, sir."
The Doctor was a bit confused though. "But, er, hold on, hold on. What was your name?"
"Bannakaffalatta." Bannakaffalatta said.
It was a little clear that the Doctor was thrown by the name. "Okay, Bannakaffalatta. But it's Christmas Eve down there. Late night shopping, tons of people. He's like a talking conker." The Doctor stopped a bit when Bannakaffalatta looked back at him in offence. "No offence, but you'll cause a riot because the streets are going to be packed with shoppers and parties and-"
When the group landed on Earth, the streets of London were empty. A fact that quite simply shocked the Doctor. "Oh." He said, as he looked around.
Mr. Copper got everyone's attention. "Now, spending money. I have a credit card in Earth currency if you want to buy trinkets, or stockings, or the local delicacy, which is known as beef. But don't stray too far, it could be dangerous. Any day now they start boxing."
Harry had to admit, a lot of "facts" people had about Earth in general made him bust a gut laughing so hard. He would correct Mr. Copper… but he didn't want to make him feel bad.
The Doctor in the meantime was still looking around suspiciously. "It should be full. It should be busy. Something's wrong."
Honestly it sounded like he was panicking. Harry put a hand on his shoulder, actually making him flinch as he looked over at him. "Nothing is wrong down here. It's all up on the ship that we have to worry about."
That made him relax a bit when he noticed Astrid looking around in wonder. "It's beautiful."
The Doctor was confused. "Really? Do you think so? It's just a street. The pyramids are beautiful, and New Zealand-" he stopped after Harry elbowed him.
"It's no different for us when we step on a brand new planet. Everything is different. And that alone makes it exciting."
Astrid nodded and with tears in her eyes she said, "It's a different planet. I'm standing on a different planet. There's concrete and shops. Alien shops. Real alien shops! Look, no stars in the sky. And it smells. It stinks! Oh, this is amazing. Thank you!" Astrid was so happy that she grabbed the Doctor in a tight hug.
The Doctor looked happy, knowing that Astrid was happy. "Yeah? Come on then, let's have a look." He said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
As he walked away Harry got left behind a bit. Something that worried him. He couldn't think of anything he may have done to earn the Doctor's… well, to make him not like him anymore. Granted the last Doctor he was with was a future Doctor so… Harry shook his head with a frown and kept close to the Doctor, trying to forget about it.
The Doctor walked them right up to one of the stores and started talking to Wilfred. "Hello, there. Sorry, obvious question, but where's everybody gone?"
"Oh ho, scared!"
"Right. Yes. Scared of what?" He asked.
Wilfred looked at him like he was a madman. "Where've you been living? London at Christmas? Not safe, is it?"
"Why?"
Wilfred pointed up at the sky. "Well, it's them, up above. Look, Christmas before last we had that big bloody spaceship, everyone standing on a roof. And then last year, that Christmas Star electrocuting all over the place, draining the Thames."
Weirdly though, all of this just seemed to excite Astrid. "This place is amazing."
Harry smiled and under his breath, said, "Yes… that certainly is one word for it."
Wilfred wasn't even done yet. "And this year, Lord knows what. So, everybody's scarpered. Gone to the country. All except me and Her Majesty." He said with no small amount of pride.
'Wilfred is just amazing. I can definitely see where Donna got her fearsome courage.' Harry thought to himself as he listened to Wilfred's speech.
"God bless her. We stand vigil." Wilfred finished saying.
"Well, between you and me, I think her Majesty's got it right. Far as I know, this year, nothing to worry about." The Doctor said, as the three of them got beamed back to the ship, with Harry waving goodbye to good old Wilfred.
"I was in mid-sentence." The Doctor said, a bit annoyed.
"Well let's be honest here," Harry said, coming up beside the Doctor, "no matter when they decided on bringing us back up, you'd still be mid-sentence."
"Oi!"
"Yes, I'm sorry about that. A bit of a problem. If I could have your bracelets." Mr. Copper said, reaching out as everyone handed him their bracelets, only for a pair of stewards to walk up to them all. Astrid hid behind Harry and the Doctor, while Harry just hoped nobody would recognize him.
"Apologies, ladies and gentlemen, and Bannakaffalatta. We seem to have suffered a slight power fluctuation. If you'd like to return to the festivities. And on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners, free drinks will be provided."
Astrid was ecstatic but had to go. "That was the best. The best!"
The Doctor however caught on to a different part of what the steward had said. "What sort of power fluctuation?" He asked.
After getting the answer of "Nothing to be worried about" and being stonewalled after that, Harry and the Doctor had no real choice other than to try and enjoy the celebrations. Though that was hard, particularly for Harry. Between the Doctor's starstruck gaze at Astrid and his somewhat distant, if not haunted, looks at him, Harry couldn't tell which bothered him more.
Eventually, the Doctor's curiosity got the better of him as always. The two of them walked over to one of the picture frames and the Doctor used his sonic to get behind to the electronics. After that he switched the screen to show the ship's status and radar.
"This is not good. The shields are down! And by the looks of things-" The Doctor quickly looked out the porthole to see three fireballs heading their way.
The Doctor immediately turned to Harry. "Why didn't you say anything? Why haven't you warned anybody?" He angrily asked.
Harry met the Doctor's gaze with some difficulty. He knew why he was so angry. Heck, if the situation was reversed, Harry would probably be just as mad with the Doctor.
"It's not that simple, Doctor. If I went around telling everyone that three meteors were gonna crash into us and tear through the ship like wet tissue paper, no one would believe me."
"Well what about the Captain huh? He could do something about it!" The Doctor said, trying to do just that.
Harry just looked away, staring at the meteors as they barrelled their way towards the ship. When two stewards came over to take the Doctor, Harry decided that he might be able to do something here.
Harry grabbed one of the stewards by the shoulder and said, "Sorry 'bout this." before he pulled him away from the Doctor and pointed at the three meteors heading their way.
"You see those meteors?" The steward looked angry, luckily the Doctor held off the other one so it wasn't too easy to do anything about Harry's grip on him, but nodded. Harry then pointed over to the screen and loudly asked, "Does this look right to you?"
The second he looked at it, the steward went from angry to confused, and then straight up panicked. The steward wasted no time and shouted to everyone. "If I could have everyone please go to the other side of the ship! This is not a drill."
Most of the people on board just laughed. Fortunately for them, Harry knew quite a few of them. And thus, knew just how to get them to move. He whistled real loud, which those in his class knew well as a sign to listen up, and said, "The secret organization known as Men in Black have spotted this ship and have decided to shoot it down! If you want to survive, please go to the opposite side of the ship!"
The reaction of those in Harry's class was immediate. They all bolted for the other side of the ship, grabbing their possessions, their families, dates, food, everything, on their way out.
Throughout all this carnage, the Doctor just stared at Harry, not angrily this time. "Men in Black? Are you serious?"
Harry shrugged. "What? I was a teacher here while I waited for you."
"And you taught them about Men in Black?"
"I-I… I ran out of things to tell them about, that they were interested in. Besides, it worked didn't it? I just saved… hopefully a few people." Harry ended… sad yet hopeful tone.
The Doctor's face softened as he really looked at Harry. "How early is this-"
"I'm afraid we don't have time for this Doctor. We have to move!" Harry said as he started to drag the Doctor behind him, everyone else following behind them. Except for the two stewards who were with them. They were off to warn other people on the ship
The Doctor ran straight for the mic and tried to spread the word but the Angel got a hold of him first. Two other stewards came up and took the Doctor, and Harry who tried to pull of the same trick as before, away.
The Doctor spoke to anyone who would listen, even as he was taken away. "Look out the windows!"
Behind them, Harry spotted Astrid, Bannakaffalatta, Morvin and Foon behind them, trying to talk the steward into letting him and the Doctor go.
"If you don't believe me, check the shields yourself."
"Sir, I can vouch for both of them!" Astrid pleaded.
"Look, Steward, he's just had a bit too much to drink." Morvin added.
As the stewards continued to drag them away, Mr. Copper came their way and tried to talk to the Stewards. "Sir, something seems to have gone wrong. All the teleports have gone down."
"Not now!" The steward shouted, sounding rather frustrated with… well everything really.
Even Slade came to their defense, trying to convince the chief steward. But even if anyone had managed to get it through the man's thick skull, it was too late. An explosion shook the ship and sent everyone flying.
After the explosions, rumblings and tumblings of the ship were over, the Doctor quickly made sure that everyone was alright. Starting with Astrid. "You all right?"
"I think so."
"Bad name for a ship. Either that or this suit is really unlucky." He said as he looked around.
The steward tried to take command of things again and at least try to keep people calm. "Er, everyone. Ladies and gentlemen, Bannakaffalatta. I must apologise on behalf of Max Capricorn Cruiseliners. We seem to have had a small collision."
Morvin scoffed at the underselling of what just happened. "Small?"
Slade was outraged… though not for any normal person's reasoning. "Do you know how much I paid for my ticket?"
The stewards' attempt to keep things calm and orderly was falling apart before it could come together. "If I could have silence, ladies, gentlemen. Please. Quiet!" He shouted, finally getting the quiet he wanted. "Thank you. I'm sure Max Capricorn Cruiseliners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience, but first I would point out that we're very much alive."
"Doctor." Astrid said, looking at Mr. Copper's head.
Mr. Copper however, pointed out someone who was in a bit more serious condition than he, "What about Harry?"
"Harry?" The Doctor asked, looking over to find Harry lying on the floor, unconscious. He left Mr. Copper to Astrid to take a look at him. Using his sonic he was able to see that Harry was in fact, fine. "No concussion. Well that's a minor miracle, all things considered."
The Doctor was so concerned for his companion that he only caught the last bit of what the chief steward said. "-stay here while I ascertain the exact nature of the situation."
The Doctor looked over to find the steward moving towards the hatch. "Don't open it!" He warned, but it was too late. The hatch and the chief steward were both ripped away to the vacuum of space.
The Doctor struggled to hold on to Harry and keep him from flying off too but he had to fix this, or else everyone would die. So the Doctor put Harry in amongst some cables still attached to the ship and went to turn on the Oxygen shield.
"Oxygen shield stabilised." The computer said.
After that was done, the Doctor gave a role call. "Everyone all right? Astrid?"
"Yeah."
"Foon? Morvin? Mister Copper? Bannakaffalatta?"
Bannakaffalatta raised it's hand. "Yes."
"You, what was your name?" The Doctor asked.
"Rickston Slade."
"You all right?"
"No thanks to that idiot."
Astrid shot an offended look at Slade. "The steward just died."
"Then he's a dead idiot."
"All right, calm down. Just stay still, all of you. Hold on." The Doctor said, hoping that he could keep everyone calm enough so he could get them out alive.
When I finally came to, the first voice I heard was the Doctor's. "-got a Host. Strength of ten. If we can mend it, we can use it to fix the rubble.
Morvin's, one of the people holding me up was next. "We can do robotics. Both of us.
Foon agreed. "We work on the milk market back on Sto. It's all robot staff."
"See if you can get it working. Let's have a look."
'I have to warn them, I have to…' Of course, thinking that, was one thing. Actually doing it was another. My head felt like it was still waking up, my body felt like it was moving through sludge, and my eyes? Remarkably, my eyes were fine for once.
"Don't." I tried to tell them.
Astrid was the only one to hear me. "Harry? You're awake!" She said happily.
"A-Astrid. Get, get the Doctor. Now please."
She didn't know why I needed the Doctor but she did as I asked. "Doctor! Doctor, Harry's awake and he's calling for you!"
"I'm a bit busy up here!"
I huffed, a bad call as all that did was make me dizzy. Since I couldn't talk to the Doctor, I had to get someone else to listen to me. "The Host. We can't fix, we shouldn't fix the host!" I tried to say, but I was having difficulty getting the words out.
Astrid looked confused but nodded. "Ok. I'm gonna go get the Doctor. You just wait here." She said as she gently helped me down.
Foon and Morvin heard me too and stopped what they were doing. "Why?" Foon asked.
"Think about it. The ship is going down. Whose ship is this?"
"Max Capricorn's." Morvin said.
"And what else did Max Capricorn put on this ship?" I asked with a look directed at the Host.
Morvin looked confused. "The Host? You think there's something wrong with the Host?"
I gave him a look. "It's property of Max Capricorn isn't it? After what just happened, can we really risk trusting anything that belongs or was made by Max Capricorn?"
Morvin and Foon looked down at me. "Why would you say something like that? The Host are supposed to help us."
I really wasn't sure how I was gonna convince them to leave it alone without the Doctor's help. "Just think about it. The ship was designed to be safe, right?"
"Yeah, and?"
"Well there's been one thing that I've been curious about ever since I heard that the ship's name was the Titanic."
"So? It was named after a famous Earth ship."
I sighed. "The ship was famous because in its time it was considered to be unsinkable. But on its first voyage it crashed into an iceberg and sank!"
Luckily with that bit of info Morvin and Foon grew a little more wary about fixing the Host. Now I just had to tell the Doctor. If I could, maybe he can pass it on and save a life or two.
"Woah woah woah. Where do ya think you're going?"
I shook my head as I tried to go up the stairs, despite Foon and Morvin trying to tell me to stay put. "Doctor! Doctor the Host! Tell the midshipman to spread the word! The Host are dangerous! And tell him to shut his door!"
"What are you talking about?" Slade asked, though the Doctor on the other hand didn't question it.
"Midshipman Frame, it's the Host. They've gone berserk. Can you cope up there?"
"Yes sir." Was his reply.
"Great! Do it now and spread the word." After that was done he looked down to me. "We good then?"
I gave him a smile. "Yeah. Yeah we're good now."
With the threat of the Host downstairs already taken care of it was just a matter of getting everyone through the door. Of course a certain someone might have been ok with leaving people behind.
"Thing is, how are Mister and Mrs Fatso going to get through that gap?
"We make the gap bigger. So start." The Doctor said, getting a little fed up with the idiot Slade.
I glared at him the whole time as we got through the hole. When we did get out there was a cart of sandwiches nearby.
"Morvin, look. Food." Foon said, happily.
"Oh great. Someone's happy." Chimed in Slade ever the glorious ray beind every disaster.
"I'm gonna go off on a limb here and say that you're not hungry." I told him rather than asked, before turning to the Doctor. "Doc, be sure to ask Midshipman Frame about Deck 31."
He looked at me confused. "What? You hardly ever give me information like that."
"Meh, if I hadn't messed around and stopped the reason you got that crucial bit of info, I wouldn't have. But I did so…"
The Doctor nodded. "Alright. Thank you. Now get some rest. Can't have you hurting yourself more." He said before walking away.
I stared at him, ever so slightly bitterly at that. But soon shrugged it off and walked away to sit down. Not long after that, Astrid came by with a sandwich for me.
"You need to eat."
I sighed as I took the sandwich and slowly ate. 'Why can't I have one of the nicer adventures? I want a beach, a normal beach! Or you know what, drop me off at Amy and Rory's! I will gladly take that over a Doctor who, for some strange reason, can't look me in the eye for more than five seconds!'
"He cares about you." Astrid said, drawing my attention. "You know that right?"
"Of course I know it. I just wish he'd be able to look at me."
"But he does." I gave her a look at that but she insisted. "No really, he does. He hid it well, probably because of the crisis we're in, but I could tell how worried he was for you when you got knocked unconscious earlier. He probably just doesn't want to risk you getting hurt any more."
'So what? He thinks that just 'cause I got hurt that I can't do anything? Or something like that?' I wasn't sure what to think about all this. It was definitely different to how 11 treated me. Even though it was literally my first day, and I had an Angel in my head, he hadn't treated me like this. Hadn't treated me anywhere near like this.
"Just something to think about." Astrid said. With that last comment, Astrid got up and went over to the Doctor.
But I wasn't able to rest much, the Host would see to that. A big bang announced the Host's arrival and the Doctor yelled to get everyone moving. Soon we made it to the Engine room.
"Is that the only way across?" Slade asked, gesturing to the narrow fallen beam forming a walkway across the empty space between the two doors.
The Doctor, unlike Slade, focused on the good side of Slade's question. "On the other hand, it is a way across.
"The engines are open." Astrid said.
"Nuclear storm drive. As soon as it stops, the Titanic falls."
"But that thing, it'll never take our weight." Morvin said, referring to himself and his wife Foon.
"You're going last, mate." Slade said.
The Doctor ignored Slade's remark. "It's nitrofin metal. It's stronger than it looks."
Still, Morvin stayed steadfast. "All the same, Rickston's right. Me and Foon should-" He was cut short at the metal he'd just stepped on began to give way.
Just before he could fall though, my hand grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and yanked him back. Only that just barely kept Morvin from falling over. Instead, both myself and Morvin were just a hair away from sliding over the edge. I was holding on for dear life, my feet on two metal posts from the guardrail to keep us from dying.
"Don't just stand there! No offence Mr. van Hoff, but after you get out of here, I'd recommend losing weight!"
"You won't hear any objections from me!"
The others, except for Slade because he was just selfish like that, wasted no time in helping me bring Morvin back from the edge. As soon as he was pulled back to safety, Foon wrapped me up in a big hug. I could barely understand what she was saying as she was half talking and half sobbing. But, I just assumed that she was grateful.
By the door, Mr. Copper pointed and said, "Doctor, I rather think that those things have got our scent."
Upon hearing that, the ever considerate Slade, started going across the beam. "I'm not waiting."
"Careful. Take it slowly!" The Doctor warned, even as the ship rumbled and Slade fell onto the beam.
"Oh, Vot help me." Slade pleaded.
"You're okay. A step at a time. Come on, you can do it."
Behind us we heard the Host coming closer. "Kill. Kill. Kill."
A fact, Mr. Copper felt like mentioning. "They're getting nearer."
The Doctor quickly turned around and used his sonic to close the door behind us. "Seal us in."
Granted, Mr. Copper was concerned with one aspect of the Doctor's plan. "You're leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?"
"Never say trapped, just inconveniently circumstanced."
"Oh."
One by one, everyone went across the beam. Even with Foon not being heartbroken and Morvin being alive, the order was the same. Only difference being me behind the Doctor. We fought bravely against the Host when they flew over but I never managed to think of a way to save Bannakaffalatta.
So when he inevitably gave his life to save us he glared at me, though I took no notice. Instead I kneeled down and grabbed the halo that fell from the Host's hands. When the Host started to move again I smiled at the Doctor.
"That would be protocol one there, Doc. And remember, you only get three questions."
"Use the EMP!" Slade shouted.
Mr. Copper waved the EMP transmitter that he'd taken out of Bannakaffalatta. "It's dead. It's dead."
Astrid shouted as the Doctor shouted, "Override loophole. Security protocol one!"
The Host stopped. "Information. State request."
"Good. Right. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?"
"Information. No witnesses."
"But this ship's going to fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic, so that contravenes your orders, yes?"
"Information. Incorrect."
"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?"
"Information. It is the plan."
"What plan?"
I cut in again. "Hey Doc? You've already used up your three questions."
"Information. Protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used."
"Well, you could have warned me."
"I did warn you!" I told him.
"Information. Now you will die."
The others started to panic as the Host started their way again but I had a plan. I just hoped it worked. With the halo/chakram thing in hand I rammed it into the back of the Host's neck and shoved it over the edge of the beam.
I smiled faintly and said, in a sad tone, "That's two."
The Doctor, who was walking up to me with an angry expression stopped after I said that. "Two what?"
"Two lives saved. That's all I can do."
The Doctor looked behind me, presumably at Morvin. "Who's the other?"
"If Morvin had died, Foon would have been behind you. She would have been heartbroken and would have killed herself. Taking the Host with her."
The Doctor's face softened and he sighed. "Ok. What now?"
"Now you go to deck 31." I told him, looking away. I didn't want him to see the guilt on my face. I'd saved who I could and I couldn't do anymore.
The Doctor led us to the corridor over the beam. When I came to Bannakaffalatta's body I knelt down and put my forehead to it's. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Before I stood up again, I picked up it's body.
"What are you doing?" Morvin asked behind me, once again drawing the Doctor's attention.
As it turned out, cyborgs were quite heavy. I grunted under Bannakaffalatta's weight. "If Bannakaffalatta stays here, it'll just get incinerated later on. After what Bannakaffalatta just did, I'd say he deserves a proper burial. Don't you? Doctor?"
The Doctor didn't respond. He just stared at me with some kind of haunted look. Like he was reliving some kind of nightmare.
I didn't say anything about it, it wasn't time. But it also wasn't time to stop moving. "Doctor! Let's go!"
That snapped the Doctor out of his daydream. He still didn't say anything. Not till he'd gotten us to the corridor over.
Once we were there he started handing out instructions to everyone. "Right. Get yourself up to Reception One. Once you're there, Mister Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try to find a way of transmitting an SOS.
The next instruction went to Astrid. "Astrid, you're in charge of this. (the EMP transmitter) Once it's powered up, it'll take out a Host within fifty yards but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge. Got it?"
Then he turned to Slade and handed him the sonic. "Rickston, take this. I've preset it. Just hold down that button, it'll open doors. Do not lose it! You got that? Now go and open the next door."
Finally the Doctor turned to me. "Harry… just, just take care of yourself. And take care of Bannakaffalatta."
"Doctor?"
"Go on, go!"
"All right!" Slade said, moving out first.
The Doctor handed a first aid kit to Mr. Cooper. "Mister Copper, you're going to need this. I need you and Harry fighting fit."
"Me? Doctor, I'm fine."
"Your hand is bleeding."
I hadn't even noticed, but the Doctor was right. There was a gash across the palm of my hand. 'Probably got there when I rammed that halo into the back of the Host's neck.'
The Doctor then turned back to Astrid. "Astrid, where's the power points?"
"Under the comms."
The Doctor grabbed the power point into the EMP transmitter and gave Astrid instructions on how to use it. "See, when it's ready, that blue light comes on there."
Astrid nodded… and then realized what the Doctor was saying. "You're talking as if you're not coming with us."
'Of course he's not coming with us. The Doctor always goes where we can't follow. Where we'll always go. Well… where they'll go. I don't really think I'm like them.' I thought to myself, only catching the last bit of Astrid and the Doctor's talk.
Astrid grew a bit sheepish, and said, "So you need someone to take care of you. I've got no one back on Sto. No family, just me. So what do you think? Can I come with you?" she asked.
The Doctor smiled, and I left like I'd just got stabbed in the gut. "Yeah, I'd like that. Yes."
'I'm sorry Astrid. I wish I could save you too but I can't. Doing so would wreck too much.'
The Doctor spoke to the Midshipman. "I'll get there, Mister Frame, somehow. All charged up? Mister Copper, look after her. Astrid, look after him. Rickston, er, look after yourself. Harry, look after Bannakaffalatta. And I'll see you again, I promise."
Before the Doctor could leave though, Astrid stopped him. "Hold on! There's an old tradition on Planet Sto."
The Doctor was hesitant. "I have really got to go."
"Just wait a minute." She said as she took the first aid box from Mr. Copper and used it to give the Doctor a kiss.
For the first time in a long time, the Doctor was speechless. "Yeah, that's a, ahem, very old tradition, yeah."
"See you later."
The Doctor grinned. "Oh, yes!"
The four of us rushed to the reception room where Astrid used an EMP pulse to zap the four Host in the room. After that was done she started giving orders as she went over to the computer.
"Rickston, seal the doors, make the room secure. Mister Copper, keep an eye on the Host. Harry, if you would make sure Bannakaffalatta is safely stowed away, I need to check the computer. We need that SOS."
I nodded and followed her orders. 'She would have been such a great companion to the Doctor. She was such a great companion. It's just too bad she won't last too long.'
Astrid grabbed hold of the speaking tube and spoke to the Midshipman up on the bridge, trying to convince him to help her get down to the Doctor.
"Mister Frame, this is for the Doctor. He's gone down there on his own, and I, I can't just leave him. He's done everything he can to save us. It's time we did something to help him."
The Midshipman paused for a moment but eventually gave in and said, "Giving you power."
Astrid smiled as she grabbed a transporter bracelet and turned to Mr. Copper who was busy taking apart a Host. "Mister Copper, I'm going to find him."
Mr. Copper stopped what he was doing to look back at her and said, "Good luck." before she activated the teleporter and disappeared.
After she was gone, I could let go. I went down to the ground and tears streamed from my eyes. Astrid had gone and it would be the death of her. The worst of it was, I knew the Doctor would be peeved. He would blame me and he would be right to do so.
This wasn't like how it was with Bannakaffalatta. It wasn't my inexperience, or my lack of knowledge or ability to stop the Host that would lead to Astrid's death. It was an active choice on my part to let her die. Because that was all I could do. This was too important.
Later on, the Doctor ran in and shouted, "Rickston, sonic!" catching it after Slade threw it to him.
He ran to the computer and turned to Mr. Copper. "Mister Copper, the teleports, have they got emergency settings?"
"I don't know. They should have."
The Doctor spared a glance at me. "She fell, Mister Copper. She fell. What's the emergency code?"
"Er, let me see." Mr. Copper said, taking over for the Doctor.
"What the hell are you doing?" The Midshipman asked.
"We can bring her back." The Doctor answered excitedly as he worked on the teleport unit.
Mr. Copper was just as excited, if not more, of the Doctor as he explained. "If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis, so if we can just trigger the shift."
"There!" He shouted triumphantly as an image of Astrid appeared in the center of the room.
Astrid, floating there, said, "I'm falling."
"Only halfway there. Come on." The Doctor kept trying to get more power.
"I keep falling."
"Feed back the molecule grid. Boost it with the restoration matrix. No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor shouted in frustration. "Need more phase containment."
"Doctor-" Mr. Copper tried to say.
But the Doctor wouldn't listen. "No! If I can just link up the surface suspension."
"Doctor, she's gone."
"I just need to override the safety. I can do this. I can do it."
"Doctor, let her go."
"I can do anything!" The Doctor shouted angrily before turning to me. He marched over to me and lifted me up against the wall. "You tell me how to save her! Tell me now!"
"I can't!" I shouted back, desperately. "There's nothing that you, or I, could do, Doctor. Some things are just meant to be, Doctor and that's just that."
"You liar! You could have saved her! If you had told me, or stopped her from going down, she would still be alive!"
I only shook my head wildly, tears still falling down my face. "At what cost though? All I knew was that she saved your life. And by saving your life, you were able to save the world. How could I possibly know how to change things enough to save her and not destroy everything else?"
Before the Doctor could say anything more, Astrid interrupted, saying, "Stop me falling."
Mr. Copper, put his hand on the Doctor's shoulder. "There's not enough left. The system was too badly damaged. She's just atoms, Doctor. An echo with the ghost of consciousness. She's stardust."
The Doctor looked between me, Mr. Copper and Astrid. Eventually he let me down, though the look he gave me said that this conversation wasn't finished yet. "Astrid Peth, citizen of Sto. The woman who looked at the stars and dreamt of travelling. There's an old tradition."
He gently kissed Astrid's hologram before pointing his screwdriver at a nearby window, making it open. "Now you can travel forever."
Astrid smiled at the Doctor as she turned to dust and flew out the opened window.
The Doctor watched, giving these parting words. "You're not falling, Astrid, you're flying."
After the engines had stabilised and the Doctor, Mr. Copper and myself all landed, the Doctor told me in a no-nonsense tone to wait in the Tardis. Which I did, no questions asked. I went in and waited for the Doctor's judgement.
That judgment came sooner than I would have liked. The Doctor came in and after one final goodbye to Mr. Copper, he closed the door. He didn't turn around to face me for quite some time. Nor could I work up the nerve to face him.
Then it came. The Doctor's anger. His rage, quietly simmering under a calm facade. The calm before the oncoming storm. "You knew."
I nodded. "Yes."
"You knew."
'Here it comes…' I took a deep, fearful breath and said, "I knew."
The calmness in the Doctor's voice blew away in a firestorm of rage in all but a single moment as he turned to face me. "YOU KNEW! All this time, you knew that she was going off to her death and you did nothing to stop it. You said nothing!"
The anger in his voice stirred up some of my own anger. "When was I supposed to say anything to you Doctor? When you were pushing me away? Or when you were staying away from me? Cause don't think I didn't notice- agh!"
Right at that moment, the vortex manipulator decided to zap me away. The pain, enough to bring me to my knees again. "Oh come on! It has to choose now of all times to activate?"
Yet for some reason, it stopped. Like that surge was just a warning shot. And when I looked up again at the Doctor, it looked like his face was battling between rage, and fear.
The Doctor's hand shook as he brushed his thumb over my forehead, where I'd taken a blow. When his hand came away, blood, my blood, was on his thumb. In the end, of the two emotions warring inside him, fear won over.
"You're always getting hurt." The Doctor mumbled. He let out a deep sigh as he ran a hand over his face. "How can I stay mad at you when you're always getting hurt?"
Honestly his almost bipolar attitude was really throwing me for a loop. "Hurt? It's just a cut… maybe two, if you count my hand."
He shook his head. "No, I'm not talking about now. Not this, well, a little bit about this. But you're always getting hurt. Always."
The vortex manipulator surged again. "Agh! What are you talking about? First you were angry, then you were sad and now you just look frustrated! What happened-" I wasn't able to finish that question as the manipulator fully activated and I was gone.