[#007] Off Course (Original, with a touch of Torchwood)

[badly_knitted]

Theme Prompt: #007 – Travel Plans
Title: Off Course
Fandom: Original, with a touch of Torchwood.
Rating/Warnings: PG / None
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 1000
Summary: The other end of Cardiff’s Rift moves at random throughout time and space; you never know what, or whom, it might grab next.



“This is all your fault!” Hilbim snapped at her mate.

“How is it my fault? You’re the one who planned this trip,” Leel snapped back. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s you!”

“There was nothing wrong with my planning! You said you knew the way! I told you we should steer clear of Iglet’s World, but did you listen? Of course not! You just had to show the kids the Treel Nebula!”

“It’s very educational! That’s what you wanted out of this trip, isn’t it? Gods forbid we should ever do anything just for the pleasure of it.”

“I had everything scheduled perfectly, visits to places of scientific and cultural interest… If you’d followed my plans we’d be on Vooznan by now, touring the museum there. They have the largest collection of space microbes in our sector!”

“Lillim is studying the Treel Nebula in astrophysics and this was the perfect opportunity for her to see it with her own eyes!”

“Pah! She didn’t get to see it at all, thanks to you!”

“And exactly how was I supposed to know the ship would get pulled off course?”

“There’s been funny stuff going on around Iglet’s World for weeks now, some kind of space anomaly passing through the area! You’d know that if you paid proper attention to the news feeds, instead of watching re-runs of Galactic Patrol all the time!”

“I like Galactic Patrol, and so does Jorby; it’s a great show!”

“It’s fiction! Do you want your children to grow up as dreamers like you or do you want them to have successful careers?”

“I don’t see why they can’t have both; just because I’m not a scientist doesn’t mean I’m not successful!”

“I should never have accepted a union with a musician!” Hilbim snarled. “Look at where it’s got me!”

“Nobody forced you to accept me as your mate! As I recall, you were the one who pursued me, rebelling against your upbringing in the pure science commune. You’re becoming more like your parents every day!”

“You never did approve of my parents!”

“Neither did you! Couldn’t wait to get away from them, could you?”

“Papa?” There was a gentle tugging at Leel’s left tentacle.

“What is it, Jorby?”

“What are those white fluffy things over there?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they’re the people who live here.”

“Oh, thank heavens! I’ll go talk to them; maybe they can tell us how to get to Vooznan from here!” Hilbim strode off across the hillside towards the creatures, but as she approached them, they scattered. “Wait! Please! I mean no harm, I just want directions to Vooznan!”

“I doubt they know our language, Hilly dear.” Leel wrapped a comforting tentacle around his mate. “We probably look as strange to them as they do to us. They’re clearly not used to intergalactic visitors, which is hardly surprising; we seem to have been pulled quite a distance off course.”

“What are we to do?” Hilbim trilled, distressed.

“First we should probably check our ship for damage; we did come down rather hard.”

“Well if you were a better driver…” Hilbim started, then trailed off with a gusty sigh. “I’m sorry, Leel. I spent so long planning the trip of a lifetime, and now it’s all ruined. I even got us tickets for Sendra Urgolyth’s new symphony; I know she’s your favourite composer. It premieres on Zilchneb in three days, I wanted it to be a surprise, but we’re so far off our schedule there’s no way we can get there in time.”

“It was a sweet thought, Hilly, and I appreciate it, but there’s nothing to be done about it now. Even the most careful planning can’t take everything into account, especially when space travel is involved.”

“I suppose you’re right, but what if we’re stranded here forever? What will become of us? What if we never get home?” Now that Hilbim’s anger at her mate had burned itself out, panic was starting to set in.

“I’m sure it won’t come to that. We’ll make whatever repairs to the ship are necessary, then get off this planet. Once we’re in space again the navigation computer should be able to chart our position and we can plot a course to the nearest civilised system.”

“You’re right, of course.” Hilbim pulled herself together. “Jorby, Lillim, Neeno! Stop chasing the locals; we need to check the ship for damage and make repairs!”

“Coming, mama!”

The family was busy working on the ship, which had ploughed quite a deep furrow into the soft ground, when a voice hailed them.

“Hello there! Do you need some assistance?”

Leel straightened up so fast he hit his head on the underside of the ship; the newcomer was speaking Galactic Standard! Perhaps this wasn’t such a backwater planet after all, and they’d simply landed in an uninhabited area.

“Hello! Yes, our ship seems to be stuck. We were pulled off course by a space anomaly and wound up here, wherever here is. I’m afraid our landing was a bit rough.” Leel turned to see the being who’d spoken, and gulped at the sight. What a hideous monster, like something straight out of Galactic Patrol! It was easily twice Leel’s height, dressed outlandishly, had fur on its top, and oh the teeth! It wasn’t alone either; there were several others of its kind following it.

“Captain Jack Harkness, at your service. Welcome to planet earth. Don’t worry about a thing, my team and I will soon get you sorted out and on your way.”

“Oh my! They’re so ugly!” Hilly whispered to her mate in their own language. “They don’t even have tentacles!”

“Hush, Hilly, don’t be rude! We can’t afford to offend them, not when we need their help. Children, don’t stare; it’s not polite”

“But they’re weird!” Jorby protested.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” Captain Harkness told her with another flash of those big white teeth.

Leel could only hope these creatures weren’t about to eat them.


The End