“Doctor,
we're stuck in an escape pod off the area seventeen airlock,”
Felicia said. “We need help!”
“Why
is this happening?” McDonnell asked.
“Stay
here!” The Doctor said. “I mean it this time! Jump start those
engines!” He left.
“Felicia
and Riley are stuck in an escape pod,” the Doctor said. “Be
ready to help,” the Doctor said.
“Understood,”
Martha said.
“Jettison
held,” the computer said, after Riley put in a sequence.
“Thank
you,” Riley said.
“Jettison
reactivated,” the computer said.
“That
didn't help!” Felicia said with frustration.
“There
are more where that came from,” Riley said, trying to put
confidence into his voice. He and Ashton fought it out via the
keypads.
The
Doctor arrived in Area 17. “That's enough! What do you want? Why
this ship? Tell me.”
Ashton
responded by smashing the keypad...
“Jettison
activated,” the computer announced.
“He's
smashed the circuit,” Riley said with panic in his voice. “I
can't stop it. I can't stop it!”
“The
Doctor must have saved this situation somehow,” Felicia said. That
thought didn't exactly fill her with confidence. 'As far as I know,
Martha was in this position, and he lost her...'
The
Doctor turned to Ashton. “Come on. Let's see you. I want to know
what you really are.”
Ashton
turned towards the Doctor but then collapsed in pain (at the same
time as Korwin being frozen in via ice vent in Engineering).
“Airlock
sealed,” the computer announced.
Ashton
got up and started walking back towards Engineering.
The
Doctor hit the intercom. “McDonnell? Ashton's heading in your
direction. He's been infected, just like Korwin!”
“Korwin's
dead, Doctor,” Scannell reported.
“Airlock
decompression completed,” the computer reported. “Jettisoning
pod.”
“Great!”
Felicia said slightly morosely.
The
Doctor went to the airlock.
“I'll
save you!”
He
saw Felicia nod.
“I
promise!” He switched on the intercom. “Scannell! I need a
spacesuit in Area 17!”
“What
for?”
“The
wonderful world of space travel. The prettier it is, the more likely
it is to kill you,” Riley said.
“The
Doctor will do something to save us,” Felicia said, trying to cheer
Riley up. 'I hope so!'
“No,
it's too late. Our heat shields will pack in any minute and then we
go into free fall. We'll fall into the sun before he has a chance to
do anything.”
“You
don't know the Doctor. I've seen him...” Felicia paused
considering. 'or her,' she thought. “...save people against
considerable odds before.”
“Considerable
odds, he'd have to really damn lucky to save us form this pickle.
Beating the odds is not something I'd believe in.”
'That's
some kind of opening,' Felicia thought. “I've seen it. But anyway,
what do you believe in.”
“Nothing,
not anymore.”
'That's
sad,' Felicia thought. “Not family?”
“My
dad's dead, and I haven't seen my mum in six years,” Riley said.
“She didn't want me signing up for cargo tours. Things were said,
and since then, all silent. She wanted to hold onto me, I know that.
Oh, she's so stubborn.”
“Sounds
so familiar,” Felicia said. She hadn't really thought about her
family situation after she had started going backwards along the
Doctor's timeline.
“What
about you?”
“Oh,
there was a divorce when I was young, and both parents tried to use
me against the other...” Felicia began.
The
Doctor had suited up. “I can't let you do this,” Scannell
declared.
“You're
wasting your breath, Scannell. You're not going to stop me,” the
Doctor objected.
“You
want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No
one can survive that.”
“Oh,
just you watch.”
“You
open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun, the shields
will barely protect you.”
“If
I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should
remagnitise the pod. Now, while I'm out there, you've got to get the
rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines,” the
Doctor explained.
“Doctor,
will you listen! They're too far away. It's too late,” Scannell
said.
“I'm
not going to loose her!” the Doctor said as he put on a helmet.
“Decompression
initiated. Impact in twelve fifty five.”
Felicia
finished telling Riley about her family issues. It seemed, cathartic.
He hugged her. Then there was a jolt! The screen said Remagnetising.
“We're being pulled back!”
“It
has to be the Doctor,” Felicia said.
“Considerable
odds, you said.”
“Yes.”
They
redocked and re-entered the ship. “Doctor!” Felicia cried.
He
was on the floor of the docking port in a foetal position. His eyes
were closed. “Stay away from me!”
McDonnell
had come up. “What's happened?”
“It's
your fault, Captain McDonnell!”
“Riley,
get down to area ten and help Scannell with the doors. Go!”
“You
mined that sun,” the Doctor said. “Stripped it's surface for
cheap fuel. You should have scanned for life!”
“I
don't understand.”
“What?”
Felicia asked. “Doctor. What is it?”
“That
sun is alive. A living organism. They scooped out its heart, used it
for fuel, and now it's screaming!”
“What
do you mean? How can a sun be alive?” McDonnell asked. “Why is he
saying that?”
“Because
it's living in me,” the Doctor answered.
McDonnell
blasphemed.
“Humans!
You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have
scanned!”
“It
takes too long. We'd be caught. Fusion Scoops are illegal,”
McDonnell objected.
“Get
Martha to the Sickbay. You've got to freeze me, quickly. Tell her to
take it below two hundred. Freeze it out of me. It will use me to
kill you if you don't. The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it
gets!”
“Impact
in seven thirty.”
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