Fixing The Problems

Sword Of Orion - Continue from Part One

"I didn't think we were going to make it." Charley said as she tried to catch her breath. They were in a big echoing space.

"That, Charley, is what a sonic screwdriver is for." The Doctor said.

"You could've let me use my powers, Doctor." Celestia said, a bit annoyed.

"We would bring too much attention to ourselves if you did." The Doctor defended himself.

"So, you're saying I am noisy?" Celestia rose her brows.

"That's not what I said." The Doctor shook his had.

"Then what did you say?" She inquired.

"I just thought this way would be quicker."

"You don't trust me." She said, sadly.

"Of course I do. Where do you get this idea from?" The Doctor frowned.

"I don't want to talk about it, Doctor. Just leave it. We have more important things to worry about now." Celestia dismissed his question.

"We'd better find the Tardis." Charley agreed, changing the subject. "I presume there's some means of switching on electrical light in here?" She questioned.

"Not very likely." The Doctor said after not being able to find anything to say to Celestia. It seemed to him that in his absence someone told her lies and manipulated her into thinking that he didn't trust her. As soon as they find The Tardis and leave this place, he was going to find out who told her these things. "This is a waste bay. The Tardis was being loaded as part of the cargo, I should imagine. We'll just have to feel for the door."

"Then find a cargo hold marked thirty eight B. I hope the crew are friendly." Charley said.

"I'm hoping they'll be too busy to notice us." Celestia muttered as they heard the scraping of metal.

"Shush, Charley." The Doctor told Charley who was making noise.

"Sorry." She whispered. "Oh!" She said as they heard more scraping. "Oh, this door's covered in rust and." She said after taking a good look around her surroundings. "Oh dear me. Maintenance is obviously a very low priority aboard this ship. They can't have much pride in their work." Charley remarked. "Do you think anyone heard us?"

"Looks pretty deserted." The Doctor said.

"Which way now?" Charley quietly said. "What are you doing?" She noticed what the Time Lords were doing.

"Put your hand on the wall." The Doctor urged her to do so. "What do you feel?"

"Er, a sort of vibration." Charley deduced.

"That, Charley, is the vibration of some kind of interstellar drive." Celestia explained.

"Which makes the spacecraft move. Yes, I see." Charley got what she was saying.

"Yes, and at the moment it's moving rather fast, at hyper-speed." The Doctor agreed with them.

"You two can deduce that just by feeling the wall?" Charley asked them.

"Mmm, this is just a scrap ship. Why are they in such a hurry?" The Doctor asked to no one in particular.

"So this ship, the Vanguard, is a sort of interplanetary dustcart, picking up all the rubbish people leave behind in space?" Charley asked the Time Lords.

"The human race use them in backwaters of the Galaxy where any unwanted debris or refuse was rather unceremoniously left to drift into eternity far from the busy space lanes. Only trouble was, the backwaters used to get a little clogged up with" The Doctor was cut off by Charley.