Episode 3: Ghost Ship Part 4

Freddie and Robyn stayed silent, watching the wreckage of the SS Recovery float through space. Suddenly the sound of the universe ripped into existence, and the familiar blue box materialised in front of them. The door opened and the Doctor staggered out, covered in Russell’s blood.

“So it’s true,” Freddie sighed. “Russell’s…”
“Yeah,” the Doctor said quietly. “And it was my fault.”
“But you saved us,” Robyn smiled.
“I guess,” the Doctor nodded. “Come on in. This ends now.”

The three stepped into the TARDIS, and it dematerialised, before materialising at the control room. The Doctor flew out of his ship and raced to the controls.

“Oh yes!” he cried. “I’m gonna fight you!”

Adele heard a click and gasped as the doors swung open. She climbed to her feet and raced through one, as the Doctor’s voice chattered from her communicator.

“Captain MacDonald, get yourself to safety,” he grinned. “I’m running this ship now. Georgia, Conner? Get back to the control room; I’ve got the TARDIS here. Oh, wait, that’s not supposed to happen! Freddie, Robyn, get out! The control room’s sealing itself!”
“Doctor, come on, run!” Robyn screamed.

The Doctor abandoned the desk, and leapt across the room. He slid under the sealing door, making it out just in time. Suddenly the sprinklers activated, showering Robyn, Freddie and the Doctor with water.

“The Drifter’s gonna seal the other door!” the Doctor yelled. “Run!”

The three ran to the other end of the corridor, making it out of the door just in time. The Doctor led the way down the next corridor, watching out for traps.

“The ship’s getting predictable,” he said, smiling slightly. “Which means it’ll be easier to defeat. Let’s just get everyone else and find a way to get to the TARDIS.”

Georgia and Conner pulled Leon to his feet, and they made their way to the exit. The control panel beside the door flashed, and emitted sparks. The three were knocked off their feet as the Drifter sent out electrical instructions in a fierce wave of light. Georgia looked around, to see Russell and the other bodies climb from their boxes. She gasped, and saw the sealed boxes begin to crack open.

“The Drifter’s animating the corpses!” Leon cried. “Get out!”

He climbed to his feet, and kicked the door open. Conner yelled and pulled Georgia from the room, as Russell and the others began to advance.

“Oh no…” Adele muttered.

She raced back the way she came. The Drifter was animating the bodies of Katrina Flout and her crew, and they had started to advance on Adele. As she ran, she pulled out her communicator.

“The Drifter’s animating the corpses of Katrina Flout and her crew!” she told the others. “Be careful!”
“Russell’s alive too,” Georgia sighed. “Oh Christ! She’s breaking down the door!”

There was a crackle, and Georgia’s communicator went off. The Doctor cried out and shook his, hoping to hear his companion once more.

“Georgia?” he muttered, to no answer.

Robyn and Freddie dived out of the way as a machine gun swung around, facing the Doctor. He pointed to the door, and they quickly ran towards the exit. The machine gun tilted to face a wall, which opened. With a small frown, the Doctor stepped through the opening, and into a control room, with a computer.

“Ahh,” he realised. “The Drifter’s new control room, where it… Well, controls everything.”
“~Hello Doctor~” the Drifter said, the voice coming from a small speaker grill.
“Hello,” the Doctor beamed. “Why are you doing this?”
“~I want to be left alone~” the Drifter sighed. “~People always try and blow me up, why is that?~”
“I know the feeling,” the Doctor grinned. “Because you’re space junk, if I’m honest. People don’t like you taking up space in their space. If that makes sense.”
“~No, it doesn’t~”
“Well, what I meant was –” the Doctor began.
“~I know what you meant~” the Drifter growled. “~I meant, it doesn’t make sense that they would do this to me~”

The Doctor nodded, and leant against the console. He patted it soothingly, watching the screens out of the corner of his eye. The animated corpses had stopped advancing on Georgia, Conner and Leon, while Freddie and Robyn were running down a corridor, and Adele was trying to get through a door, the animated corpse of Katrina Flout watching her passively.

“Hang on a minute,” he muttered to himself.

An airlock door opened, and a figure stepped through it. He peered in for a closer look, but the camera fizzled and the picture became white.

“~What are you looking at? Doctor?~” the Drifter asked. “~Why is one of my cameras faulty?~”
“Nothing to do with me,” the Doctor assured it. “Oh, you’ve bought the machine guns out. I’d better run – woah!”

He dodged a round of bullets, and leapt from the room. Leon was approaching Russell nervously, when she snapped at his neck. He dived back, and dragged Conner and Georgia from the room. Katrina Flout began to advance on Adele, just as she forced the door open.

“Miss Flout, I have to say, it is an honour!” she cried as Katrina swung for her. “But your communication skills are terrible! Good day!”

With a cry, she slammed the door in Katrina’s face. Georgia, Conner and Leon raced along the corridor, and almost ran slap bang into the TARDIS. Several machine guns appeared from the ceiling, and turned to face them.

“Georgia, get the door open!” Conner yelled.
“I’m trying!” Georgia cried.

Conner shoulder barged the door, and it flew open. He pushed Georgia inside, and Leon leapt inside after him. He looked around; stumbling as he took in the magnitude and size of the spaceship he’d just stepped into.

“This is the TARDIS,” Georgia smiled. “Welcome aboard. Conner, I’ll try and contact the Doctor, you make us some tea. Or possibly something stronger.”
“Right,” Conner nodded, hurrying off. “Leon, sit down!”

Leon climbed onto a seat, still looking around in awe. Georgia glanced at him, and he blushed.

“Go and help Conner if you want,” she smiled. “You’ll get a better look around that way.”
“Which way did he go?” Leon asked, standing up.
“That way,” Georgia pointed.

Leon wandered off, and Georgia pulled out her phone, dialling the Doctor’s number.

“Doctor!” she said. “Where are you?”
“I’m a bit busy at the moment,” the Doctor cried, running from the spray of bullets. “Where are you?”
“I’m in the TARDIS, with Conner and Leon,” Georgia smiled.
“You got into the TARDIS?” the Doctor frowned. “But it’s locked inside the old control room.”
“It wasn’t,” Georgia replied. “We ran into it in a corridor.”
“You’re sure it’s the real TARDIS?” the Doctor asked quietly.
“Yeah, hundred percent,” Georgia grinned. “Now, if you just tell me how to pilot it…”
“Oh I don’t think so,” the Doctor laughed. “Do you really think I’d let you destroy the universe? Even in an emergency? No, you’ll be far too busy to do that.”
“Why? What do you want me to do?” Georgia asked.
“I don’t want you to do anything, except stay there, and stay safe,” the Doctor said. “But the Drifter… it obviously let you in because it’s a trap. So be careful, and… Do. Not. Leave. For. Anything.”
“Not even milk?” Georgia smiled.
“Bye Georgia,” the Doctor sighed, hanging up.

As Freddie and Robyn ran down the corridor, the floor opened up, and they fell through it. Robyn screamed, and Freddie felt a strange whooshing feeling in his chest. They both looked down and saw a tank full of water, and both held their breath as they landed in it.

“Freddie?” Robyn called out. “You there? You can’t swim, can you? Oh God!”

She dived under the water, and grabbed an unconscious Freddie. As she swam to the surface, she realised the tank had closed at the top, and there was no way out.

“Miss Flout, you’re back I see!” Adele said, as Katrina Flout burst through the door and staggered towards her. “You really are persistent, but I’ve got to insist that you stay away from me!”

She leapt towards Katrina, and almost rugby tackled her to the ground. Except, there was no ground, and the pair fell through the air, grappling as they did so. There was a cracking as they hid something solid – a glass tank. The tank smashed into pieces, and water thundered out, as did the unconscious bodies of Freddie and Robyn.

“Robyn, Freddie?” Adele muttered.

She looked sharply to her left, as Robyn gasped and opened her eyes, spitting out water from her mouth. Freddie woke up behind her, blinking to wipe the water from his eyes. Adele looked up at the remainder of the tank – Katrina lay, impaled on some glass.

“At least she won’t come back to bite us anymore.”

As she spoke, Katrina leapt up at her, the glass still sticking out from her chest.

“You know you want to,” Conner grinned. “I don’t see why we don’t just have a look around outside, and then come back in. The Doctor doesn’t even have to know.”
“It’s tempting,” Georgia admitted. “He really won’t find out?”
“Nope.”
“Oh, go on then,” Georgia laughed.

Georgia headed towards the doors, Leon and Conner following. She pulled open the doors, when the entire TARDIS shook. Conner fell to the floor, while Leon grabbed the doorframe, falling out of the TARDIS. Georgia slipped and fell on top of Conner, who grunted.

“You’re heavy,” he moaned. “Geroff!”
“Sorry,” Georgia replied. “What was that, anyway?”

She stood up, and poked her head out of the doors. The corridor was empty, so, quietly, she stepped out, smiling at Conner, who followed behind. While Conner headed around the right side of the TARDIS, Georgia headed around to the left, almost bumping into something. She faltered, saw what it was, and screamed.

“Oh my God,” Conner said quietly, joining her.

They looked, open mouthed at the pair in front of them – Russell, covered in blood, was hacking away at Leon, whose gasp of shock barely had time to disappear from his face before he was dead. Conner took Georgia’s hand, trying to pull her away. Her eyes were drawn to Leon, who suddenly snapped his head and stared at her, eyes wide and bright. He brushed Russell aside, and stood up, making his way to Georgia, arms outstretched.

“You’re kidding,” Georgia sighed. “We really have to go. This is serious, isn’t it Conner? We really are going to die here.”

To be continued…