Touch The Sky: Doctor Who/Studio C [Book 3]

Voyage of the Damned (Part 1)

Voyage of the Damned

(Originally: 2007 Christmas Special, 'Voyage of the Damned'; aired December 25, 2007)

A/N: Oh gosh... here I go with the gigantic gaps again. TTS appears to be turning into a bit of a spoiled child just like WTE was, but I'm determined to push through it. Fair warning as well, VotD is a very Doctor-intense arc that I can't really skip for reasons that will become apparent later in the book, but once this wraps up we'll be digging our hands back into Matt and Mal's stories.

A bald man in a suit filled the screen before him. "Max Capricorn Cruiseliners," the recording said. "The fastest, the farthest, the best. And I should know because... my name is Max." The man grinned, a gold tooth glinting.

The Doctor, now in a tuxedo he hadn't worn since their encounter with a man called Richard Lazarus, eyed the screen for a moment before wandering away again. Winter Wonderland was now playing and he tried to shake the eerie feeling he'd gotten. His time sense told him he hadn't jumped far from where he'd left Matt and Mallory—a few weeks at most, and definitely forward. Much too early to be Christmas again already.

"Merry Christmas," a steward said. The Doctor automatically echoed him, mind still churning. A man on what appeared to be a sort of phone ordered who ever was on the other end to 'do as I say and sell,' before walking off. The Doctor watched him go, before approaching one of the angel robots.

"Evening," he said. "Passenger 57. Terrible memory. Remind me. Uh, you would be..." He trailed off, nodding at the robot.

"Information," the robot said in a polished voice. "Heavenly host supplying tourist information."

"Good, so, um... tell me, 'cause I'm an idiot—where are we from?"

"Information: the Titanic is en route from the planet Sto in the Cassavalian Belt. The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures."

"Titanic,"the Doctor said. "Um... who... thought of the name?"

"Information: it was chosen as the most famous vessel of the planet Earth."

"Did they tell you why it was famous?"

"Information: all designations are chosen by Mr. Max Capricorn, president of—" Its head suddenly jerked, spasming wildly as it began to repeat "Max" in a myriad of grating, high-pitched tones.

"Ooh, bit of a glitch," the Doctor said, reaching for his sonic but pausing as a steward hurried over.

"Sir, we can handle this." The steward gestured to two others, disabling the Host and causing it to fall silent as the others approached. "Software problem, that's all," he said to the Doctor, pasting on a smile. "Leave it with us, sir. Merry Christmas." As he left, though, the Time Lord heard him mutter, "That's another one down. What's going on with these things?"

A minute later, the shattering of glass drew the Doctor's attention away from the burgeoning mystery. "For Tov's sake!" the businessman he had spotted earlier exclaimed at a blonde waitress. "Look where you're going! This jacket's a genuine Earth antique!"

"I'm sorry, sir," the waitress said meekly, bending down and beginning to pick up the pieces.

"You'll be sorry when it comes off your wages, sweetheart," the businessman snapped. "Staffed by idiots. No wonder Max Capricorn's going down the drain." He turned around, stalking off.