Green Vortex [III]

Midnight Pt1:

"I said, no!" Donna shouted over the phone. The Doctor winced, holding it away from his ear for a moment before putting it back. "Sapphire waterfall, it's a waterfall made of sapphire's. This enormous jewel, size of a glacier, reaches the Cliffs of Oblivion, and then shatters into sapphires at the edge, they fall 100,000 feet into a crystal ravine."

"I bet you say that to all the girls." Donna said cheekily. "Come on, Donna! They're boarding right now! It'll be no fun if we see it on our own, it's why we bring companions. Four hours, Donna, please don't leave me alone with him while Astro stayed behind!"

"Oi!" The Doctor whined to Galaxy who laughed and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"No, because that's four hours there and four hours back. That's eight hours with him...speaking of which, he's bound to make it like a school trip. I'd rather go sunbathing." Donna said. "Be careful. Xtonic sunlight is..." Galaxy started.

"Oh, I'm safe. It says in the brochure this glass is 15 feet thick."

"Alright, I give up." The Doctor said as Galaxy handed him back the phone, "We'll be back for dinner, we'll try that anti-gravity restaurant. With bibs." He said. "It's a date. Well, not a date, not for us at least, you and Galaxy though. Oh, get off!"

"See you later." The Doctor said. "Oi! You be careful, alright?" Donna said before he hung up. "Don't worry, Donna, I've got him covered." Galaxy assured. "Yeah. Taking a big space truck with a bunch of strangers across a diamond planet called Midnight, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Hey! Stop saying things like that! You're gonna jinx us!" Galaxy exclaimed as she hit him on the arm and they could hear Donna laughing on the other end. "Have fun!" She called before the line went dead.

The Doctor hung up the phone as he rubbed his arm slightly. Galaxy rolled her eyes before linking their arms. "Come on." She said, pulling him towards the shuttle.

-10-

They took a seat near the cockpit, watching as the rest of the passengers boarded while the hostess turned to an older blonde woman across from them.

"Complimentary juice pack and complimentary..." The hostess started. "Just the headphones, please." The woman requested. "There you go." She handed the headphones and moved to the Doctor and Galaxy, "That's the headphones of Channels 1 to 36, modem link for 3d vidgames, complimentary earplugs, complimentary slippers, complimentary just pack, complimentary peanuts. I must warn you some products may contain nuts."

"That would be the peanuts." Galaxy smirked as she popped one in her mouth. "Enjoy your trip." The hostess smiled, starting to move on. "Oh, we can't wait! Allons-y!" The Doctor grinned. "I'm sorry?" The hostess asked. "It's French." Galaxy clarified.

"For let's go." The Doctor added. "Fascinating." The hostess nodded before walking to the people in the row behind them, "Headphones for Channels 1 to 36..."

"Oh no, thank you, not for us." The older man replied. "Earplugs, please." The young black woman requested beside him. "There you go." The hostess said, handing them over."They call it a sapphire waterfall, but it's no such thing, sapphire's an aluminum oxide, but the glacier is just a compound silica with iron pigmentation. Have you got that pillow for my neck?"

"Yes, sir." The woman handed it to him.

"And the pills?"

"Yes, all measured out for you, there you go." She said as the Doctor and Galaxy kneeled on their seats to look over the tops of them. "Hobbes! Professor Winfold Hobbes!" The older man introduced when he saw them.

"I'm the Doctor. Hello." The Doctor shook his hand. "And I'm Galaxy." Galaxy said, shaking his hand too. "It's my 14th time!" Hobbes told them. "Oh, our first!" The Doctor said with excitement. "And I'm Dee Dee, Dee Dee Blasco." The woman said and they shook hands with her.