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fandomweekly2016-07-11 12:56 am
but_can_i_be_trusted) wrote in fandomweekly2016-07-11 12:56 am
Entry tags:
[#020] Countdown (Doctor Who)
Theme Prompt: #020: Natural Disaster
Title: 'Countdown'
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating/Warnings: G; no warnings
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 980
Summary: "So we're stranded here," I grumbled, "while our only escape option is out of reach. I don't suppose there's a chance that this is all just an elaborate April Fools' prank?"
"Fifteen minutes to impact. Fifteen minutes to impact."
The computerized voice had been chanting the countdown ever since we woke up.
"Fifteen minutes to--"
"Yeah; getting that! Thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "For nothing!"
"Now, now," the Doctor scolded, his tone distracted. "Don't be cross with the automated warning. We're lucky to have it."
"Yep, we sure are. Thanks to that thing, we know exactly how long before we get killed."
He skidded to a halt, staring at me. "I thought you trusted me," he complained. "This isn't helping the situation--"
"Of course I trust you," I assured him. "It's the asteroids I don't trust. And I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be saving us from them?"
"Ah," he muttered, nodding. "Right. Fair enough."
His hand clasped mine, and he led the way up a series of neglected hallways. Vast windows stared out across a crater-ridden field. Beyond the horizon, we could see numerous rocky and metallic masses that were hurtling toward us.
"I think I have an idea of where we are," he told me as we ran. "Clearly we're in some sort of asteroid belt. This is possibly a research station, judging from the supplies I found before we ran into each other. The place must have been abandoned in anticipation of the collisions we're trying to escape from."
"But how did we get here," I asked. "And where's the TARDIS?"
"Good questions. Excellent questions. Regarding the first one: I'm still working on that." The Doctor paused at one of the windows, palms pressed to the glass. "As to the second one...well..."
"Yes?" I came up behind him.
He glanced over his shoulder at me, the look on his face sending my heart plummeting. "That second question is a bit more complicated," he murmured.
"Okay. Not sure I like the sound of that." I peered out the window. "Oh, no. Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"
One of the asteroids was floating past, as casually as a chunk of rock could. The TARDIS was parked atop it as though it belonged there.
"Eight minutes to impact. Eight minutes..."
"So we're stranded here," I grumbled, "while our only escape option is out of reach. I don't suppose there's a chance that this is all just an elaborate April Fools' prank?" I blushed at the Doctor's annoyed stare. "Well? What the heck; it's April somewhere," I stated defensively. "Maybe."
"Speaking of maybe," he suddenly announced, grabbing my hand again. "Maybe we have another chance."
"Meaning?" It was a good thing he was holding on; I was having a hard time keeping up. He was practically dragging me behind him.
"Meaning that there would have been a way off of this asteroid, or else the people who set this facility up would still be here with us."
Hope was starting to gleam. "Escape pods? Alternate transport?"
"Something along those lines, yes. Now to find it..."
Fortunately, the research facility was rather small; the automatic countdown was just announcing a four-minute warning when we burst into what could only be the futuristic equivalent of a parking structure. A solitary pod sat forlornly, surrounded by empty spaces where others must once have been.
The Doctor pried open the hatch. "We're in business," he announced, crawling in. "Come on; plenty of room!"
I stared at the interior, nonplussed by the unrecognizable control panels. "Are you sure you can drive this thing?"
He shot me an acid glare. "Do you want to take a chance with the asteroids?"
"Not especially." Sheepish, I clambered in beside him and belted up. "Here goes nothing. Good luck."
"Two minutes to impact. One minute to impact. One minute to impact..."
"Oh, great," I growled. "That's cute. The darn countdown followed us!"
"Stop grousing," the Doctor directed. "A lot can happen in one minute. Hang on tight..."
With a series of reluctant groans, the pod lifted off, gliding out of the parking structure. As soon as we were outside, pebble-sized objects pattered against the walls. Larger stones swooped into view, and we banked sharply to avoid them.
My hands hurt from clinging to the armrests of my seat. "Any sign of the asteroid the TARDIS is on?"
"Don't worry; I know what I'm doing."
You'd better know what you're doing, I thought.
It seemed like the entire asteroid belt was conspiring against us. Dense clusters of rock and metal danced all around, coming perilously close.
"Fifty seconds to impact. Forrty-nine seconds to impact..."
"Why are we still hearing that countdown," I demanded.
"Does it really matter," the Doctor shot back. "Stop distracting me!"
"Sorry; I'm a little afraid right now!"
"Yes, well, so am I! Ignore the countdown, damn it, and let me concentrate!"
"Fine!" I shut my mouth. And my eyes. If I could just do the same with my ears...
"Thirty-eight seconds to impact..."
"Nearly there," the Doctor suddenly shouted.
Unwillingly, I opened my eyes again. Sure enough, the asteroid the TARDIS was parked on was just inches away. In fact, the TARDIS herself was right outside the hatch. There was the gentlest bump as we made contact.
"Out we go!" To my shock, he was reaching for the hatch release.
I grabbed his hands. "Wait a second! Are you crazy?"
"Shared atmosphere. I scanned before I found you. We're perfectly safe--at least, as safe as can be, given the circumstances."
"But..."
He gazed at me searchingly. "You said you trusted me."
"Twenty-one seconds to impact. Twenty seconds to impact."
"Okay," I said. "Let's do this."
Fortunately, the Doctor was right about the asteroid belt having a shared atmosphere. We were in the TARDIS and out of the belt in the few remaining seconds, watching on the monitor as the asteroid that had housed the research facility broke apart under a merciless onslaught.
"To think," I murmured, staring at the spectacle, "that that could have been us."
Title: 'Countdown'
Fandom: Doctor Who
Rating/Warnings: G; no warnings
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 980
Summary: "So we're stranded here," I grumbled, "while our only escape option is out of reach. I don't suppose there's a chance that this is all just an elaborate April Fools' prank?"
"Fifteen minutes to impact. Fifteen minutes to impact."
The computerized voice had been chanting the countdown ever since we woke up.
"Fifteen minutes to--"
"Yeah; getting that! Thanks," I muttered sarcastically. "For nothing!"
"Now, now," the Doctor scolded, his tone distracted. "Don't be cross with the automated warning. We're lucky to have it."
"Yep, we sure are. Thanks to that thing, we know exactly how long before we get killed."
He skidded to a halt, staring at me. "I thought you trusted me," he complained. "This isn't helping the situation--"
"Of course I trust you," I assured him. "It's the asteroids I don't trust. And I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be saving us from them?"
"Ah," he muttered, nodding. "Right. Fair enough."
His hand clasped mine, and he led the way up a series of neglected hallways. Vast windows stared out across a crater-ridden field. Beyond the horizon, we could see numerous rocky and metallic masses that were hurtling toward us.
"I think I have an idea of where we are," he told me as we ran. "Clearly we're in some sort of asteroid belt. This is possibly a research station, judging from the supplies I found before we ran into each other. The place must have been abandoned in anticipation of the collisions we're trying to escape from."
"But how did we get here," I asked. "And where's the TARDIS?"
"Good questions. Excellent questions. Regarding the first one: I'm still working on that." The Doctor paused at one of the windows, palms pressed to the glass. "As to the second one...well..."
"Yes?" I came up behind him.
He glanced over his shoulder at me, the look on his face sending my heart plummeting. "That second question is a bit more complicated," he murmured.
"Okay. Not sure I like the sound of that." I peered out the window. "Oh, no. Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"
One of the asteroids was floating past, as casually as a chunk of rock could. The TARDIS was parked atop it as though it belonged there.
"Eight minutes to impact. Eight minutes..."
"So we're stranded here," I grumbled, "while our only escape option is out of reach. I don't suppose there's a chance that this is all just an elaborate April Fools' prank?" I blushed at the Doctor's annoyed stare. "Well? What the heck; it's April somewhere," I stated defensively. "Maybe."
"Speaking of maybe," he suddenly announced, grabbing my hand again. "Maybe we have another chance."
"Meaning?" It was a good thing he was holding on; I was having a hard time keeping up. He was practically dragging me behind him.
"Meaning that there would have been a way off of this asteroid, or else the people who set this facility up would still be here with us."
Hope was starting to gleam. "Escape pods? Alternate transport?"
"Something along those lines, yes. Now to find it..."
Fortunately, the research facility was rather small; the automatic countdown was just announcing a four-minute warning when we burst into what could only be the futuristic equivalent of a parking structure. A solitary pod sat forlornly, surrounded by empty spaces where others must once have been.
The Doctor pried open the hatch. "We're in business," he announced, crawling in. "Come on; plenty of room!"
I stared at the interior, nonplussed by the unrecognizable control panels. "Are you sure you can drive this thing?"
He shot me an acid glare. "Do you want to take a chance with the asteroids?"
"Not especially." Sheepish, I clambered in beside him and belted up. "Here goes nothing. Good luck."
"Two minutes to impact. One minute to impact. One minute to impact..."
"Oh, great," I growled. "That's cute. The darn countdown followed us!"
"Stop grousing," the Doctor directed. "A lot can happen in one minute. Hang on tight..."
With a series of reluctant groans, the pod lifted off, gliding out of the parking structure. As soon as we were outside, pebble-sized objects pattered against the walls. Larger stones swooped into view, and we banked sharply to avoid them.
My hands hurt from clinging to the armrests of my seat. "Any sign of the asteroid the TARDIS is on?"
"Don't worry; I know what I'm doing."
You'd better know what you're doing, I thought.
It seemed like the entire asteroid belt was conspiring against us. Dense clusters of rock and metal danced all around, coming perilously close.
"Fifty seconds to impact. Forrty-nine seconds to impact..."
"Why are we still hearing that countdown," I demanded.
"Does it really matter," the Doctor shot back. "Stop distracting me!"
"Sorry; I'm a little afraid right now!"
"Yes, well, so am I! Ignore the countdown, damn it, and let me concentrate!"
"Fine!" I shut my mouth. And my eyes. If I could just do the same with my ears...
"Thirty-eight seconds to impact..."
"Nearly there," the Doctor suddenly shouted.
Unwillingly, I opened my eyes again. Sure enough, the asteroid the TARDIS was parked on was just inches away. In fact, the TARDIS herself was right outside the hatch. There was the gentlest bump as we made contact.
"Out we go!" To my shock, he was reaching for the hatch release.
I grabbed his hands. "Wait a second! Are you crazy?"
"Shared atmosphere. I scanned before I found you. We're perfectly safe--at least, as safe as can be, given the circumstances."
"But..."
He gazed at me searchingly. "You said you trusted me."
"Twenty-one seconds to impact. Twenty seconds to impact."
"Okay," I said. "Let's do this."
Fortunately, the Doctor was right about the asteroid belt having a shared atmosphere. We were in the TARDIS and out of the belt in the few remaining seconds, watching on the monitor as the asteroid that had housed the research facility broke apart under a merciless onslaught.
"To think," I murmured, staring at the spectacle, "that that could have been us."
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