Fight or Flight ( Doctor Who Fanfiction )

The Beast Below

He pulled Amy back in through the doors of the spaceship by the foot from where she'd been floating in the middle of nothingness and stars. She stood there, hanging onto him and laughing with astonishment.

"Okay, your box is a spaceship. It's really, really a spaceship. We are in space!" She leaned out towards the threshold.

I chewed on my lip and lifted my chin skeptically. "What are we breathing?"

"I've extended the air shell," he replied casually, "we're fine. Oh, Omara would you like a go?"

Amy looked at me.

I backed up several steps. "Oh, no, thank you. Wish I could say it looks fun but I really can't do heights."

The Doctor nodded. "Well would you at least like a closer look?"

I looked at Amy, worried I would be intruding if I took her place beside him. She was unreadable, but backed away so I could look out at the stars. I held onto the doorhandle, suddenly feeling weak in the knees - an unfamiliar feeling, which unsettled me.

"You're OK," the Doctor said gently. "You're fine. Just look."

I did look. I stared out at the vibrant pinwheeling nebulae and the sea of light above, around and below us. I think I became a different person just while I stared.

I looked down, and upon seeing what appeared to be a giant city floating a hundred miles below, grabbed the Doctor's arm in a vice grip. I was not prepared for something so far down to put this height into perspective for me. He peered downwards, and laughed.

I backed up quickly and went to sit on a step.

Amy eagerly took up the space that I left.

"Now that's interesting. See, Amy. Twenty ninth century. Solar flares roast the earth, and the entire human race packs its bags and moves out till the weather improves. Whole nations."

He nodded, and dodged past me on his way to the console, talking as he moved. I followed out of curiosity, or maybe instinct. He was magnetic. Twenty minutes with him and I understood why Amy jumped into his box without a thought. I was remembering how he made me feel when we first met - wonderstruck.

"Doctor?"

I looked over my shoulder at Amy's voice, but I don't think I really registered it.

"Migrating to the stars," he continued.

"Doctor?"

This time when she spoke, strangely muffled, I looked back for her and found she wasn't there. I was down the stairs and to the door in a moment's notice.

"Isn't that amazing?"

I opened the door and looked up at Amy, floating above me and hanging onto the TARDIS for dear life.

"Doctor!" I snapped, frozen in my tracks.

He leapt down the stairs to join us, where he offered her his hand. "Well, come on, I found us a spaceship!"

He pulled her inside and I shut and locked the doors, doing a manual count to make sure all three of us were inside of them this time.

The Doctor was unfazed and continued talking. "This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. All of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship, that's an idea. That's a whole country, living and laughing and shopping. Searching the stars for a new home."

Amy bounced on her toes excitedly. "Can we go out and see?"

"Course we can. But first, there's a thing."