Starman [ Life on Mars / Doctor Who Crossover ]

Chapter 5 Iron Man

nobody wants him
he just stares at the world
planning his vengeance
that he will soon unfold

---

The next thing Sam heard was a loud whirr.

The next thing he saw, as he turned around, was the full extent of how utterly cracked he was.

"Bloody Jesus," he said.

"Right, yes, it's bigger on the inside." The Doctor grinned from where he gripped a lever that was connected to a console, that was connected to a machine, that was connected to a massive glowing pillar in a massive glowing room that towered over Sam's head like a fucking cathedral.

Sam stumbled backward. His back hit the door.

And then the room around him rumbled, and quaked suddenly, with so much force that Sam tripped away from the wall. He groped for something to hold to, but as soon as he grabbed onto one of the room's strange, curved supports, the ground shook violently again and threw him off his feet and onto his back.

"Ow," he said from the floor.

Sam heard the Doctor flick another switch and then rush over the platform with metallic clangs. "Oh, no, no, don't do that!"

"Do what?" Sam sucked in a breath. The ceiling looked even higher from here.

"Not you." A pair of hands grabbed him under his arms and sat him up. The Doctor's voice echoed round the room, as if he was purposely directing it outward. "In fact, you, Sam Tyler, are an honored guest and it's our duty to make you feel welcome."

Oh, good, Sam thought, my delusion's madder than I am.

The Doctor patted him on the shoulder and crouched next to him. "Sorry 'bout that -- she can be a bit, ah... moody."

Sam stretched his back and winced. "She?"

"The TARDIS," the Doctor said, as if that explained anything. A moment passed, and it felt strangely awkward, strangely silent, before the Doctor looked away and added, "My ship."

"Oh." Sam gave the room a second-over, because the once-over hadn't been nearly enough. "Your... as in a..."

"TARDIS -- that's 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space,' so, ah, we're not in 1973 anymore, if that's what you're asking." The Doctor beamed, and for a moment, Sam thought that perhaps he really was trapped in a horrible Back to the Future knock-off, cast as the oblivious teenager beside a wild, harebrained, complete nutter -- well, doctor.

Sam shook his head and tried hard not to push away said nutter as he helped Sam to his feet. The ship -- TARDIS -- emitted another little rumble akin to an indignant protest before it went still again. Sam blinked and tried for the hundredth time not to reject the fantastical reality in front of him as he turned toward Doctor in mixed parts hope and dread.

"So, then... where are we?"

The Doctor's smile, if possible, grew wider. "Would you like to see?"

Sam nodded, because yes, he wanted to see. Yes, he needed to know. Yes, he had to be certain he hadn't left behind everything in that stupid, terrible year for nothing.