Episode 3: Ghost Ship Part 1

Katrina Flout led her team through the wrecked ship. The floorboards and wooden panels creaked ominously in the space breeze. Katrina kicked a rotting door aside, and shined her torch into the room beyond. What she saw made her scream in terror.

“Oh God, no!”

She turned around, in an attempt to run, but the door sealed itself, trapping her crew and herself in the room. There was a snapping noise, and something in the shadows activated. Within a few seconds, the entire crew was dead.

Title Sequence

Captain Adele MacDonald saluted to her crew, and stepped onto the ship. The scientists working all around her waved and nodded. Her crew followed her onto the ship – Freddie Burke, Robyn James, Leon Strong, Russell Walker, Megan Kel and Lucia Garcia – also waving at the scientists. For several of them, it was their first mission, a fairly simple operation – to salvage the Drifter.

“Buckle up,” she ordered. “We leave in five.”
“Do as she says,” Freddie added.

Freddie headed over to the nearest computer, and accessed the files on the Drifter. His position of vice-captain meant that Adele was especially strict with him, and he didn’t want to be caught out not knowing anything on the mission.

“The Drifter crashed in the late 46th Century…” Freddie read. “But no team has been able to salvage it since. The SS Groundbreaker and its crew, captained by Katrina Flout, all disappeared, never to be seen again. The Earth hopes and prays that the SS Recovery will manage to remove the ugly old ship from our owned space. Christ, it doesn’t seem likely that we’ll succeed…”

Nonetheless, he returned to his seat and prepared for the journey.

“Doctor, why do we have to watch the news?” Conner sighed. “It’s boring!”
“It’s interesting,” the Doctor corrected him. “Anyway, I want to hear this article on the Drifter…”
“The what?” Georgia asked.

She walked into the console room and sat on the chair between the Doctor and Conner.

“The Drifter crashed in the 46th Century,” the Doctor explained. “It’s a spaceship, but it looks like a pirate ship, with sails and everything, but obviously Airlocks and the like. Anyway, it crashed, and salvage teams were sent to take anything of value and destroy the ship – it was taking up valuable space in areas owned by the Earth – but every time a team tried to salvage the ship, they disappeared, as did their ships. The Drifter’s been in space ever since. Now they’re sending a new team out to salvage it – members of the SS Recovery, apparently.”
“Do you think they’ll manage to salvage it?” Conner asked.
“No,” the Doctor replied. “Nobody’s ever managed it. I just feel sorry for them – they’re doomed to vanish like the old crews.”
“Unless we help,” Georgia pointed out. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Let’s do it,” Conner grinned.
“Fine,” the Doctor sighed. “Come on!”

The Drifter silently drifted in space, and as the SS Recovery parked beside it, Freddie wondered what the problem was. It looked harmless enough, but there could be something on board, maybe creatures…

“Come on everyone!” Adele said, leading the way.
“It’s a bit cold,” Russell complained.
“Girls,” Leon sighed.
“Woah,” Lucia muttered. “It’s so dark and quiet…”
“Aren’t you gonna say mamma mia?” Leon teased.
“I’m Italian, not an Italian stereotype,” Lucia sighed.

Leon chuckled and pulled a torch from his belt. He shone the torch at the walls and floor, allowing Adele to inspect everything. Suddenly there was a crash behind them, and the group turned around in fright.

“Sorry!” Megan called, climbing out from the ship. “It’s just me – I was securing the ship in place.”
“Where’s Robyn?” Leon asked as everyone sighed.
“Here,” Robyn replied. “I’m just checking the Airlocks are secure. Everything’s fine.”
“Good,” Adele said. “Now, let’s get on. The sooner we salvage the ship, we can leave.”

Everyone fell silent once more, and continued through the ship. A few corridors from the Airlock where they had parked their ship, they heard a rasping noise. Adele, at the front, held up a hand and stopped the group.

“Keep quiet,” she ordered. “Freddie, Robyn, with me. The rest of you, stay here, and if there are any problems I want you to get back to the ship. Russell, you’re in charge.”
“Yes Captain,” Russell said. “Good luck.”

Adele nodded and led the way to the source of the noise. As she reached another corridor, she swung her torch around, and the Doctor’s face was lit up.

“Hello!” he beamed. “I’m the Doctor.”
“Captain Adele MacDonald,” Adele replied. “What are you doing here?”
“I’m Georgia,” Georgia added. “And this is Conner. We’re exploring. What’re you doing here?”
“My name’s Robyn, and this is Freddie,” Robyn smiled. “We’re salvaging the Drifter.”

The Doctor leaned forwards and shook theirs hands. Adele looked confused for a while, but eventually warmed to his smile.

“We’ll be glad to have your help,” she said. “If you’d like to meet the rest of the crew?”
“Sure,” Georgia smiled. “Lead the way!”

Adele turned and took them back to the Airlock. She introduced the Doctor, Georgia and Conner to Russell, Megan, Leon and Lucia, who all smiled and shook their hands. Leon grinned at Georgia, excited to have another pretty girl working with him.

“Now you’ve all had a rest,” Adele said loudly. “I want you to get to work. Remain in pairs or threes at all times, and do not wander off. Russell, go with Megan and check out the east wing, take Conner with you. Freddie and Robyn, check out the north and west wings. Leon and Lucia take Georgia to the lower quarters and begin salvaging the cargo in the south wing. Doctor, come with me. We’re looking for the control room.”
“Yes ma’am,” the Doctor saluted, following her.

Conner grinned happily and followed Russell and Megan, who tripped over her feet as they walked. Georgia sighed and followed Leon, ignoring him to talk to Lucia.

“What’s it like, being a salvager?” she asked.
“The pay could be better,” Lucia smiled. “But the work’s fairly exciting – you never know what you might find.”
“I just realised,” Georgia said excitedly. “You’re Italian!”

Conner pulled open a rotting door, and allowed Russell and Megan to step through it before following them.

“It’s mouldy in here,” Russell complained.
“You didn’t join the job for the glamour, did you?” Conner asked.

Before Russell could shoot a reply, Megan screamed and pointed a few metres ahead. Conner gasped and looked at where she was pointing.

“Bodies…” he muttered. “Let’s see if they’ve got identification.”

He crouched beside one of the bodies, and read the tag attached to the jacket. Katrina Flout. Conner remembered the Doctor mentioning her as they left the TARDIS.

“It’s the previous salvage team,” he said. “Katrina Flout and her crew.”
“The SS Groundbreaker,” Megan whispered.
“I’ll contact the others,” Russell said. “Conner, you should take a communicator – you might need to talk to the others at some point.”

Conner nodded and took the small black object from her. She lifted her own communicator, and spoke into it.

“Umm, hey everyone,” she said. “Could someone give the Doctor and Georgia a communicator each? I just wanted to say, we’ve found something…”
“What?” Lucia asked, from somewhere else on the ship.
“Bodies,” Conner replied, speaking into his own communicator. “The crew of the SS Groundbreaker – Katrina Flout and her team.”
“Oh God…” Lucia gasped. “They were never found…”
“Until now,” the Doctor said helpfully. “Ow! Don’t hit me!”
“Don’t be so insensitive then,” Adele scowled. “Keep the communications to necessary ones only. Thanks Russell.”

Russell placed her communicator into her pocket and led the way out of the room, still in shock.

“You’re not the only Italian person I’ve met in space, you know,” Georgia said. “You aren’t related to Ysabelle Quadrelli are you?”
“Who?” Lucia asked.
“She worked on the SS Hurricane,” Georgia replied. “She was killed by a Rawrx.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lucia said. “Leon, I’m just gonna… Do a scan of the area, okay? Check for more bodies.”

Leon nodded, and Lucia walked away.

“Was it something I said?” Georgia asked.

Robyn placed her communicator back into her pocket, and bit her lip. Freddie attempted a smile and led the way to the north and west wings.

“Adele had to give us the furthest away places, didn’t she?” Robyn sighed.

The Doctor and Adele found the control room, and accessed the main computer.

“It’s still working,” the Doctor noticed. “The main computer is working full pelt.”
“But the Drifter crashed centuries ago,” Adele said. “There’s nobody on board except us. Why would it still be working?”
“Maybe the Drifter isn’t as silent as we first thought,” the Doctor shrugged. “There could be anything on board…”
“You said that with a smile on your face,” Adele observed. “Who are you?”
“Just the Doctor,” the Doctor replied. “Nobody special.”
“It doesn’t seem like it to me,” Adele said. “That form of computer hasn’t been used since the 46th Century, and you used it like you do it all the time.”
“Well, maybe I’m a little bit special,” the Doctor grinned. “Ask Georgia. Though I don’t suppose she’ll use the word special…”
“Hang on, what’s that?” Adele asked.

She pointed to a series of coding in the right hand corner of the screen. The Doctor slipped his brainy specs on and read the code.

“It’s the ship,” he said. “It’s sending out some form of communication.”
“To who? A distress signal, maybe?”
“No,” the Doctor frowned. “The communication is being sent within the ship. Someone, in this ship right now, is communicating with the main computer. I’m really not convinced that we’re alone…”

Lucia stepped into a quiet room, hoping that Georgia and Leon would stop pestering her with questions. She looked around the room, and saw a computer. With a frown, she headed over to it. This was the first sign of technology she had encountered on the Drifter.

“The wiring, it looks like spaghetti,” she laughed. “This computer must be really old to still use wiring.”

A message appeared on the computer screen, so Lucia read it, and, after deciphering the keyboard, replied:

Computer: The 46th Century, to be precise.
Lucia: Who is this? Adele?
Computer: I am the Computer.
Lucia: Who’s typing this?
Computer: You’re Italian, right?
Lucia: Maybe. Who wants to know?
Computer: I like the sound of Italy. You’re nice.
Lucia: Thanks. Err, you’re nice too…
Computer: Thank you very much. I’d like to give you a gift.
Lucia: Maybe you could tell me who you are? That would be a nice gift.
Computer: I’ve got a better gift – let me show you.

There was a clanging behind Lucia, and she turned around in time to see the door seal itself. Running over to it, she attempted to open it, but it was too strong. She returned to the computer and began to type.

Lucia: What have you done? Please, open the door!
Computer: I can’t – you won’t see your gift. Let me show you.
Lucia: Let me out!
Computer: Here comes your gift! Let me show you.

There was a swishing sound, and water erupted from the ceiling. Lucia moved out of the way and looked up. A small metal cube was the culprit. It was an old fashioned sprinkler system.

Lucia: But the computer will get wet! I won’t be able to talk to you anymore. Please let me out!
Computer: Oh, hang on. Your gift isn’t complete. Let me show you.

Suddenly the small metal cube exploded, and water gushed into the room at an alarming rate. Lucia screamed and ran for the door. It was still locked tight, and none of the water seemed to be getting through it. Lucia began to cry, and her tears mixed with the increasing volume of water, that, in a few seconds, would have drowned her completely. She looked at the computer once more, and read its final message.

Computer: This is your gift. Let me show you. Let me show you. I hope you like it. Let me show you.

To be continued…