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

Voyage of the Damned (Part 4)

A/N: Extra long chapter today, woo. And look at those daily updates!

Mallory couldn't quite help but smile at the Doctor's flabbergasted face. "But—how did you—"

"I'm guessing there's not much time to explain," Mallory answered curtly as Mark stepped through the doors behind her. "Just remember to leave him a DVD with a flight path for the TARDIS as soon as you get done here."

Realization flickered over the Time Lord's face before he gave a short nod. Like with Sally Sparrow in 2007, he'd program a DVD with the coordinates to bring the TARDIS right here, right now, and drop it off for Mark in the past/future. Mallory was almost impressed with herself that she could keep something so non-linear straight in her head. "What do you need us to do?"

The Doctor didn't answer her for a long moment. Instead, his gaze fell on the body of Bannakaffalatta, as Mr. Copper lifted the small cyborg's shirt. "I'm sorry. Forgive me," he said to Astrid.

"Leave him alone," the waitress snapped.

"It's the EMP transmitter," Mr. Copper explained. "He... he'd want us to use it." He fiddled for a moment. "I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can reuse it as a weapon against the rest of the Host. Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all."

"Shouldn't need to," the Doctor said. "Mark, Mallory, get them in the TARDIS. I can use it to tow the Titanic back into orbit and then we can figure out what's going on—"

Before anyone could move, though, Rickston interrupted, "Do you think? Try telling him that!"

The group turned, as one, to see the single remaining Host reach for its halo."Information: Reboot."

"Use the EMP!" Rickston shouted.

"It's dead!"

"It's gotta have emergency—"

"No, no, no! Hold on!" the Doctor said urgently. "Override loophole security protocol... Ten! Six six six! Uhhh... Twenty-one! Four, five, six, seven, eight. Um, I dunno, forty-two! One!"

The Host froze suddenly, dropping from its threatening position into a neutral posture. "Information: State request."

The Doctor paused, blinking, as if surprised that had actually worked. "Good... right. You've been ordered to kill the survivors, but why?"

"Information: No witness."

"But this ship's gonna fall on the Earth and kill everyone. The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information: Incorrect."

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?"

"Information: It is the plan."

"What plan?"

"Information: Protocol grants you only three questions. These three questions have been used."

"Well, you could've warned me."

"Information: Now you will die."

The Host raised its halo again, only to freeze when a rope suddenly wrapped around its arms. Foon had snuck up behind it, taking the lasso from her outlandish costume and securing the Host. "You're coming with me," she said, yanking it tight. She closed her eyes, leaning over the edge of the beam.