Ace grimaced. "Another cargo hold, Professor? It's about time you got that junk heap serviced!"
Benny was examining a nearby crate with the professional eye of an archaeologist. "I would say this material is late 23rd century," she decided.
"What makes you say that?" the Doctor asked, locking the door of the TARDIS.
She tapped the sticker on the side of the plastic crate. "The Centauri Corporation went out of business in the crash of the 2297. This is the logo from their later period."
"Very good," the Doctor said with a slight smile. "I'm very impressed."
Ace cleared her throat. "Hello? Can anyone see me?"
"Of course we can, Ace," the Doctor replied mildly. "I wasn't ignoring you."
Ace frowned. "Yeah, well it seems like you do sometimes," she muttered.
"Are we going to stand around arguing or explore?" Benny asked them.
The Doctor seemed to consider the point for a moment. "Explore, I think." He grinned at his companions. "Let's go, shall we?"
As they walked down the aisles, past more of the plastic crates, Benny came to another conclusion.
"I think we're on a passenger ship."
"Why?" Ace wanted to know. She hadn't seen anything to prove or disprove this claim.
"The Centauri Corporation ran a number of stellar cruise lines before they went out of business. I don't think they had any freight contracts though."
"They didn't," the Doctor confirmed. He smiled at his two companions. "Looks like we might be getting a holiday."
Ace was about to make a comment as they reached the end of an aisle. But the three guards with guns levelled at them froze any comment in her throat.
"Halt! The cargo holds are off limits. What are you doing down here?"
Before Ace could speak, and probably land them in more trouble, the Doctor smoothly took over.
"I'm so sorry," he said, raising his Panama hat to the guard captain. "We were just inspecting our cargo, to see that it was safely stored for the journey. We didn't mean to trespass."
"Well, you have," the guard captain told him. "I should report this to the Captain."
"I'm sure there's no need for that," the Doctor said, fixing the guard with his piercing green blue eyes. "We don't want to bother him, I'm sure he's a very busy man."
The guard listened to the deep, soothing voice and found himself agreeing. "He is a very busy man. Now, get along to the passenger lounge."
"Our pleasure," the Doctor said, raising his hat once more before bustling his companions on their way.
After they had gone, the guard captain shook his head. "What just happened?"
"You've started going soft, that's what," one of his colleagues told him as they continued their patrol.
***
"That was very impressive," Benny said as they stepped out of the cargo area and into the more opulently furnished passenger area.
"Simple suggestive technique," the Doctor replied with a slight smile. "Now, how about we make ourselves at home? I'm looking forward to a little peace and quiet."
"Aren't we all," Ace muttered as they set off in search of the lounge.
***
"This is excellent wine," Benny enthused. "Chateau Centauri 2274. A very good year."
"No thanks," Ace replied, refusing the offered glass. "It dulls the senses."
A slightly tipsy expression had formed on Benny's face. "What do you need sharp senses for? We're on holiday." She found herself grinning at the prospect.
Ace frowned. "There's something not quite right about all this. It's just a feeling, but something's wrong."
"Nonsense," Benny declared, a little too loudly. "You're just a party pooper." She took another swig of her wine.
The Doctor, who couldn't possibly have heard their conversation, crossed the room towards them.
"Ace is right, something is wrong here. Very wrong."
Before Ace could ask how he knew what they had been talking about, he continued.
"I've just seen the name of this vessel on a menu. This is the Galactic Princess."
"So, what's in a name?" Ace inquired.
Benny's drink-fuddled brain was kicking into gear though, even if only slowly.
"The Galactic Princess dishappeared without a trace in 2294," she told them. The fog started to lift from her eyes. "We need to get out of here."
"Why?" Ace demanded. "What's to say this is the doomed voyage? The TARDIS wasn't forthcoming with a date for our arrival. Why do you think it's 2294?"
The Doctor answered that question. "Because the Galactic Princess vanished on her maiden voyage!"
Ace frowned. "Okay, I get your point. But shouldn't we do something about all these people? How many are aboard? How many are going to die?"
"We're not sure they do die," the Doctor said, keeping his voice down as a couple of Draconians walked past them. "The Galactic Princess disappeared without a trace ever being found. It's an established historical fact."
"That's as may be, but its happening under our noses," Ace protested. "You expect us to just get back in the TARDIS and leave these people to their fate?"
"In a word, yes." The Doctor locked eyes with his moralising young companion, but she was having none of it.
"You can't sway me like you did that guard down in the cargo hold. I think you're wrong."
"And as I said before, we don't know what happened to this ship. It may have crash-landed on a habitable world. The passengers and crew may have built a successful colony. We can't change anything that happens here. All we can do is leave."
"He's right, you know," Benny said. She seemed completely sober now. "I don't like it any more than you do, but I'm afraid to say he has a point."
Ace scowled at the pair of them, then sighed. "Alright, I'll believe you. We'll abandon these poor unfortunates to their fate, whatever it may be."
"I'm glad that's settled," the Doctor said. He smiled at Ace. "We are doing the right thing."
She glared back at him, not trusting herself to speak.
***
As they strolled casually back towards the cargo hold, they all felt the slight motion of the floor under their feet.
"The ship is under way," the Doctor told them quietly.
"How long until it goes missing?" Ace asked Benny.
"Sometime during the second day of the cruise, if I remember correctly," she replied.
Ahead of them, set into the bulkhead, was a large pressure door. It was closed.
"Looks like our friendly guards have locked up behind them," Ace said. "One way of keeping the riffraff out."
The Doctor dashed forward suddenly. He dropped his umbrella beside the door and bent to examine the closing mechanism.
When Ace and Benny reached him, he was standing again, a frown on his lined face.
"What is it Professor?" Ace inquired.
He gestured behind himself. "This door. It's not just locked. Its time locked. Its not programmed to open until the Galactic Princess reaches her destination."
"So were trapped, just like everyone else," Benny deduced.
The Doctor nodded. "The Galactic Princess has just claimed three more victims!"
***
"So now what?" Ace asked.
The three time travellers had returned to the lounge after their failed attempt to reach the TARDIS. They were now sitting in a quiet corner, away from the rest of the passengers who seemed to be enjoying their trip so far.
The Doctor looked glum. "If I still had my sonic screwdriver, I could have disabled that locking mechanism. But there's nothing I can do without it to get us inside."
"I don't suppose a bent hair clip and a stethoscope will work?" said Benny, who had watched too many 20th Century movies as part of her archaeological research.
The Doctor shook his head in answer to her question. "I'm afraid we're well and truly stuck here."
Ace had been thinking. "What about the Captain?"
"What about him or her?" the Doctor demanded.
"Well, wouldn't they have an override combination for the time lock on the cargo bay? In case of emergency?"
"I suppose so. But why would they release it to us? We can't go along and ask, can we?"
"Why not?"
The Doctor frowned. "What do you suggest we say? 'Can you please give us the cargo bay access code, so we can get back to our ship and leave before you all disappear into legend'?"
Ace scowled at him. "Why don't we offer them the chance of rescue?"
The Doctor looked shocked. "We can't do that! What about galactic history?"
"Screw galactic history," Ace said hotly. "These are real people!"
A few of the real people she was talking about looked round at her outburst. They didn't look approving.
"Keep your voice down," Benny warned. "The natives are looking restless."
Ace took a deep breath, calming her shredded nerves. She looked at the Doctor.
"Well, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know," he snapped, standing quickly. He grabbed his umbrella from the seat next to him. "I'm going for a walk. I may be some time!"
Ace and Benny watched him stalk out of the lounge. Then they looked at each other.
"Do you think one of us should go after him?" Benny asked.
"Nah," Ace replied. "Leave him to his own devices for a while. Who knows, he may even think of a way out."
***
The Doctor stomped down the corridors of the Galactic Princess, his face as dark as his mood. He hated arguing with Ace, especially when she was right. Not that he could admit that to her. It wasn't easy admitting it to himself.
As he walked, he watched the people he was passing. Young people in love, older people enjoying the view through the windows. An even older generation, also in love. Children running around the feet of the adults, managing not to trip their parents up, but only just.
Happy people. Contented people. People at peace with themselves and each other.
People who were condemned to an unknown fate.
Damn! Why did Ace always have to be right?
***
A shudder ran through the ship. The passengers looked around in panic.
"What do you think that was?" Benny asked.
Ace shrugged. "The beginning of the end?"
A voice came over the tannoy. "This is your captain speaking. We're experiencing a little space turbulence caused by solar winds. This is nothing to be alarmed about. Thank you."
"Convinced?" Benny inquired, arching an eyebrow.
"Not at all," Ace replied with a slight smile.
"And quite right too," came the Doctor's voice from behind her.
Despite their earlier disagreement, Ace was pleased to see him. "What is it, Professor? What have you found out?"
The Doctor looked grim. "We're caught in the gravity well of an uncharted black hole."
***
Ace, Benny and the Doctor were walking the corridors of the Galactic Princess. The Doctor said that walking helped him think.
"Do you have a plan?" Benny wanted to know.
"I'm working on something," he replied enigmatically.
Ace sighed. "I hate it when he gets like this," she growled.
The Doctor gave her a sly smile. "You should be pleased. You're going to get what you want."
She looked quizzically at him, but he wouldn't say any more.
Benny and Ace were both surprised when he marched them onto the bridge of the cruise liner.
It was a bustle of chaotic activity. People were rushing around, shouting orders, trying desperately to avert the disaster about to befall the ship.
A harassed looking security guard stepped up to them. "Could you please leave the bridge area please? No passengers are allowed up here."
"We're not ordinary passengers," the Doctor informed him. "I am the Doctor and these are my friends Benny and Ace. Now, I need to talk to your Captain."
"I'm sorry, we've got a problem right now. The Captain is on top of things but we need you to clear the area."
"But we can help," Ace said. "The Doctor has a plan."
"Please leave the bridge, before I have you escorted off."
The Doctor ducked around him suddenly, heading straight for the centre of the action. For the Captain.
"Who the hell are you?" he demanded, seeing a diminutive man with an umbrella standing before him.
The man raised his hat. "I am the Doctor and I've come to help you."
***
Captain Jorge Marshall still wasn't sure why he had granted a private meeting between himself and the strangely dressed little man who called himself the Doctor. But here they were, in the Captain's Office, with the Doctor's two female friends standing either side of him across the desk.
The Doctor sat without being invited. "I see you've managed to get the ship caught in the gravity well of a black hole."
"We didn't know it was there," Marshall told him defensively. "We were drawn off course before we realised what was happening."
"It doesn't matter who's fault it was," the Doctor replied. "I'm here to offer you, your crew and passengers a way off this ship."
Marshall didn't realise his jaw had dropped until he closed his mouth again. He gaped at the little man opposite.
"There are over four thousand passengers on board, plus nearly two hundred crew," he protested.
"A drop in the ocean to the TARDIS," said the woman with the light brown ponytail standing at the Doctor's right shoulder.
The Doctor leaned across the desk and spoke in a low, confidential tone. "It's dimensionally transcendental."
Marshall sat back, trying to take all this in. He pressed a button on the desk.
"Jackson, what's our status?"
"Engines are at full power reverse," came the stressed voice of his first officer. "We're still being drawn in."
Marshall clicked the intercom off. He locked eyes with the Doctor, who had a confident half smile on his face.
"Very well, we seem to have little choice. Where is your ship?"
"Ah, now we hit a slight snag," the Doctor admitted. "It's in the cargo hold, behind the time locked pressure door. I assume you have the override code?"
"I do," Marshall nodded.
"Excellent!" the Doctor said, rising from his seat. "If you will release it to me, I'll go and prepare the TARDIS."
"I'll do better than that," Marshall told him. "I'll input the code myself. I want to see this amazing ship of yours, Doctor."
***
They stood before the cargo hold pressure door. The Doctor, still flanked by Ace and Benny, Jorge Marshall and two security guards he had brought from the bridge. Benny noticed that their hands never ventured far from their stun guns.
Marshall glanced at the Doctor as he began typing the code into the locking mechanism. "If this is some elaborate joke, I'll have the three of you thrown in the brig."
"You have a brig on a passenger liner?" the Doctor inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, the empty luxury cabin on C deck then," Marshall growled. He stepped back from the door, which eased open with a sigh.
The six of them stepped through the open doorway. Once inside the Doctor paused, tapping his chin with the handle of his umbrella as he contemplated the aisles of stored cargo.
"This way," said Ace and Benny together, pointing left and right respectively.
"I think we should try this way," the Doctor said, pointing directly ahead with his umbrella and marching forward at a brisk pace.
His companions followed, along with Marshall and the two guards.
***
"This is your first officer speaking. We would like to apologise once more for the disruption caused by the area of space turbulence we're passing through. Please bear with us. We hope to resume a smooth cruise again soon. Thank you."
***
Jackson clicked off the ship-wide intercom and relaxed slightly. It was a good thing the passengers didn't really know what was happening. There would be mass panic if they did.
And where was the Captain? Off indulging that odd little man and his two girlfriends. His place was here, advising his crew. Being a stoic role model for them.
Jackson sighed. He didn't know why he was worried. The ship, passengers and crew were all doomed anyway. What did it matter where the Captain was? They were all going down with this ship.
***
Marshall tentatively followed the Doctor through the double doors, expecting to collide with his back at any second in the small space. But he didn't. Instead he stepped across the threshold into a large, brightly-lit chamber.
Dominating the room was a mushroom shaped control console with a transparent cylinder at its centre. The walls were patterned with sunken circles.
"Don't worry about it," Benny said, patting him on the shoulder as she breezed past him. "You get used to it after a while."
"It's...it's..." stammered Marshall.
"Yeah, isn't it?" Ace said with a grin. She crossed to the console where the Doctor was pushing buttons and flicking switches. "What's up, Professor?"
The Doctor's face was grim as he looked up, taking them all in with his gaze.
"It's too late. We've waited too long." He sighed. "Even the TARDIS doesn't have the power to break out of the gravity well from this deep inside. We truly are stuck here!"
***
Benny couldn't believe what she was hearing. She hadn't been with the Doctor as long as Ace, but she had been aboard the TARDIS long enough to know that the Doctor didn't give up without a fight. Yet here he was, apparently beaten not by the Daleks or the Master, but by a natural phenomenon. It can't end like this, she thought. Can it?
"There must be something you can do," Ace said, unconsciously giving voice to Benny's thoughts.
But the Doctor just shook his head. "The TARDIS is powered by a tiny fragment of a captured black hole. That minute particle has detected the black hole nearby and doesn't want to leave."
"So the TARDIS wants to be destroyed?" Benny inquired.
"Not exactly. But there is a conflict deep down in the power systems of the ship."
Marshall was having trouble taking all this in. "So, Doctor, can you help us or not?"
The Doctor shrugged. "I'm afraid not. We're stranded here too. Nobody is getting off the Galactic Princess."
Ace had been quiet for a while. Now she spoke up.
"Look, why not connect the liner's power source to the TARDIS and see if you can break both free? If they're compatible, of course."
For a long moment, nobody spoke. The Doctor just stared at his young companion.
Ace threw her hands in the air. "Okay, don't say it. Stupid idea. I should stick to what I know. Explosives."
A smile spread slowly over the Doctor's previously glum features. "Ace, that's absolutely brilliant!"
She blinked at him. "What?"
"It's so simple, it's brilliant," the Doctor said again. "I've been too close to the problem to see the obvious solution."
Ace was pleasantly surprised. "Thanks Professor. I think."
The Doctor had turned to Marshall, who was still feeling a little left out of things. "Captain, does this ship operate a Bussard Ram Scoop, powering an ion drive engine?"
Marshall nodded. "It does, Doctor. Is it right that you can link your power systems to ours?"
The Doctor nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, it will work. Ace is right, we can break both ships free. There's no need to bring all the passengers aboard the TARDIS."
"I hope you're right, Doctor."
"I know I am," he beamed. "Now, what's the name of your chief engineer?"
"Merrick Holmes," Marshall responded. "Do you want me to bring him up here?"
"No need," the Doctor told him. He closed the TARDIS doors and set the craft in motion.
***
Chief Engineer Merrick Holmes was startled to say the least when the tall blue box appeared in the main engineering section of the Galactic Princess. He was even more surprised when Captain Marshall stepped out of the box, followed by a strangely dressed man and two women.
The man stepped forward, grasping Holmes by the hand and pumping it up and down.
"Mr Holmes, I'm so very pleased to meet you. I'm the Doctor, and these are my friends, Ace and Benny."
"Greetings," Benny said, raising her hand.
"Hiya," Ace responded, grinning.
The Doctor flung an arm around Holmes' shoulder and led him away. "Now, tell me how the ion drive is set up."
Marshall turned to Ace and Benny. "Is he always like this?"
"Pretty much," Benny replied, smiling.
"And that..." he gestured to the TARDIS.
"Quite a way to travel, eh?" Ace said, still grinning.
"Yes. Quite." Marshall wandered after Holmes and the Doctor, scratching his head.
***
Within an hour, the Doctor had the TARDIS and the Galactic Princess connected together and running like one machine. Holmes still wasn't sure about some of the technicalities, which bothered him, but in the last hour he had come to respect the Doctor's expertise.
"Now," the Doctor was saying, "if you can boost the engines up to full capacity, I'll set the co-ordinate override and hopefully both the TARDIS and the Galactic Princess will dematerialise together." He hoped Holmes didn't notice the crossed fingers behind his back.
Holmes nodded. "Full power. That I do understand." He crossed to the main engineering console and began increasing the flow of power through the main engines and along the thick cable that led through the TARDIS doors.
The Doctor stepped into the TARDIS and crossed to the console. He watched with satisfaction as the power levels built.
"Everything alright, Doctor?" Benny asked.
The Doctor nodded, scurrying around the console.
"He's best left to his own devices when he gets like this," Ace commented.
"Don't I know it," Benny replied, rolling her eyes.
The Doctor paused in his blur of motion. He looked across at his two companions, his hand poised over a lever.
"Ready, ladies?"
Without waiting for a reply from either of them, he plunged the lever home.
***
Holmes had never heard a noise like it. The closest he could come was an elephant with labour pains. As the sound built to a crescendo, the whole ship started to shudder.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Doctor," Holmes muttered.
***
On the bridge the shuddering could be felt as well. Marshall was back in his accustomed position, surrounded by his most trusted officers.
"Don't worry," he told them, "The Doctor knows what he's doing."
***
If the turbulence was bad on board the Galactic Princess, then it was twice as bad inside the TARDIS itself. Ace and Benny were hanging onto whatever came to hand.
The Doctor, meanwhile, seemed to be impervious to the buffeting around him. He was standing over the console, hands playing over the controls like a mad concert pianist.
As the TARDIS rocked once more, Ace was thrown to the floor, to land in a heap near Benny's feet. The older woman helped her up and she glared across at the console.
"Doctor, what the hell are you doing?"
***
The black hole sat there in space, sucking in matter and energy like a greedy schoolboy. Obviously, it had no feelings, no emotions. It was a force of nature. It was incapable of feelings.
On the outer edge of its influence the Galactic Princess struggled to free itself from the gravity well of the black hole. But it was too late. Like a fly caught in the web of a spider, the ship was trapped beyond all hope of escape.
But then something strange happened. The ship began to fade out of existence. Were sound capable of travelling in a vacuum, then a grating roar would have been heard as, with one final blink, the ship vanished from the area of space it had been occupying.
The black hole was incapable of feeling emotions. But if it had been, it would have felt disappointment.
***
The TARDIS had settled into level, normal flight. Benny and Ace disentangled themselves from their safe havens and stretched aching muscles. The Doctor stood by the console, fanning his face with his hat.
"Nice take off Professor," Ace commented. "What happened?"
The Doctor smiled slightly. "The TARDIS was carrying the extra mass of the Galactic Princess. That's why the passage was so rough. But now we're clear of the black hole, we've settled down a little."
"So what now?" asked Benny. "Are we all safe?"
The Doctor nodded. "We just need to disconnect the cable and the Galactic Princess and the TARDIS can go their separate ways."
"Then lets get on with it," Ace suggested, heading for the open doors.
***
Holmes greeted the news from the bridge with a smile. "Free? That's great news Captain. I'll tell the Doctor right away."
Closing the communicator, he turned to see the Doctor step out of the TARDIS, followed by Ace and Benny.
"Good news, Doctor. We're free of the black hole!"
The Doctor nodded. "I know." He smiled. "Now, we can disconnect this cable. The power flow to the TARDIS has been cut."
It took the two of them mere minutes to remove the cable from under the power console. Ace and Benny dragged it back through the TARDIS doors.
The Doctor raised his hat to Holmes. "Good luck to you all. And please give my regards to Captain Marshall."
"But Doctor, can't you stay a while?"
The Time Lord was already standing in the TARDIS doorway. He shook his head sadly. "We must be on our way. We've already done too much. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, Doctor," Holmes replied as the TARDIS disappeared noisily from the engineering bay.
***
The mood on the bridge was one of celebration. They had escaped the crushing power of the black hole that would have destroyed them all.
It was fortunate that one of the crew was watching the monitors, otherwise they may well all have died anyway.
"Captain," the helmsman called. "We're caught in another gravity well!"
The helmsman was checking the readings on his board. "It's a planet this time, sir. Class M. Breathable atmosphere. We're being pulled down towards the surface."
"Then pull us up again. Maximum thrust."
A call came through from the engineering section. "I can't give you maximum thrust, Captain. The engines took a great deal of strain during our escape. I can give you manoeuvring thrusters, but that's about all."
"Give me anything you can, Mr Holmes. Get us down in one piece, if you can. I want to be able to lift off again as soon as possible."
"Aye, sir," came a number of voices from numerous stations.
***
"So, what happens to the crew and passengers of the Galactic Princess now?" Benny asked. "Have we damaged the web of time by rescuing them?"
"Not at all," the Doctor said with a smug smile. "I did a check through the TARDIS' data banks while the power was building and I found this."
He indicated a screen. Ace and Benny crowded around to see. Ace read from the screen.
" 'In the year 2817, an unexpected human colony was discovered on the planet Straktus 331. It is believed that they were the survivors of a ship crash, though with so many missing ships over the centuries, the actual origin of the colony wasn't established immediately. Later DNA fingerprinting proved that the colonists were survivors of the space liner Galactic Princess, which went missing in the year 2294.' "
Benny grinned. "They survived then!"
The Doctor nodded. "They did indeed. It seems we were wrong and Ace was right."
Ace breathed on her fingernails, polishing them on her T-shirt. "I don't like to say I told you so..."
"Then don't," Benny suggested. "Just be happy they all survived." She turned to the Doctor. "Where to now?"
"Where do you want to go?" he asked.
Ace opened her mouth to speak, but the Doctor interrupted her.
"And no, we're not landing aboard the Titanic again!" he said firmly, but with a twinkle in his eye.
