Prologue
“Can I offer you a glass of orange juice, sir?”
The Doctor examined the tray of glasses curiously. The juice looked freshly-squeezed. Hardly the best fruit in the universe, but not bad. “Yes, thank you.” The Doctor took a glass.
“And you, madam?”
“I’m okay, thanks.” Robin smiled and the air stewardess moved along to the next aisle. Being next to the window, she looked at her view – the plane’s wing. It was currently on the ground, but soon it would be flying. It was something she could never quite believe – that such a heavy object could glide through the sky like an enormous bird. She accepted it when it came to the TARDIS, as well; but that seemed so far beyond science that it was better to consider it within the context of magic.
“I could have got you a better seat.” The Doctor swigged his orange juice down.
“I told you,” insisted Robin. “No getting anything. This is me taking you on an adventure.”
Carrier 7, Region 44 of the Eighth Great and Bountiful Human Empire
“Electric shock. Her name was Rozene Ramirez.” DCI Goodwin stood over the body as the crew-members watched anxiously at the edge of the crime zone. Goodwin had to move slowly and carefully; the ship juddered along, sometimes throwing spontaneous fits of turbulence. She didn’t know how, out in space, a ship could tremor to this extent, but it was ragtag; a flat-pack spaceship, made to get from A to B.
Or at least it was, until one of the crew members met her grisly fate outside the engine room. Now the ship continued its voyage, but permanently tracked by the Justice Department.
“What else do we know?”
“We-"
The Doctor examined the tray of glasses curiously. The juice looked freshly-squeezed. Hardly the best fruit in the universe, but not bad. “Yes, thank you.” The Doctor took a glass.
“And you, madam?”
“I’m okay, thanks.” Robin smiled and the air stewardess moved along to the next aisle. Being next to the window, she looked at her view – the plane’s wing. It was currently on the ground, but soon it would be flying. It was something she could never quite believe – that such a heavy object could glide through the sky like an enormous bird. She accepted it when it came to the TARDIS, as well; but that seemed so far beyond science that it was better to consider it within the context of magic.
“I could have got you a better seat.” The Doctor swigged his orange juice down.
“I told you,” insisted Robin. “No getting anything. This is me taking you on an adventure.”
Carrier 7, Region 44 of the Eighth Great and Bountiful Human Empire
“Electric shock. Her name was Rozene Ramirez.” DCI Goodwin stood over the body as the crew-members watched anxiously at the edge of the crime zone. Goodwin had to move slowly and carefully; the ship juddered along, sometimes throwing spontaneous fits of turbulence. She didn’t know how, out in space, a ship could tremor to this extent, but it was ragtag; a flat-pack spaceship, made to get from A to B.
Or at least it was, until one of the crew members met her grisly fate outside the engine room. Now the ship continued its voyage, but permanently tracked by the Justice Department.
“What else do we know?”
“We-"
“Actually,” interrupted Goodwin, “don’t tell me. We’ve got a specialist coming in to solve this one while I supervise the anti-terrorism unit. Frankly…” she looked down at the inexplicable corpse, “we’re going to need one.”
“You certainly are going to need me, Detective Chief Inspector.” Goodwin looked up and there she was, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, accompanied by a handsome young man in similar attire. She was almost star-struck at the woman – the famous television personality; the woman who had brought down Lord Dalta.
“Detective Inspector Rivers,” said Autumn Rivers, giving Goodwin a firm handshake. “This is my assistant, Tommy Lindsay.” The young man smiled. “Now, onto the murder.”
***
“Are you sure about this?” asked the Doctor, fastening his seatbelt. The plane was moving forwards at quite a speed now, preparing to lift off. They could hear the glasses on the trolley clanking against each other at the front of the craft.
“I’m sure. I said it shouldn’t be in the TARDIS – for the first time, I’m taking you on the adventure.” Robin reached across and took the Doctor’s hand. It was cold, but warmed quickly. The plane lifted off the ground, and the pair leaned back as they headed up into the sky.
“I know,” said the Doctor, nodding sadly. “Like you said, the last adventure.”
Robin looked across at the Doctor, attired in a pair of trousers and a brown shirt to blend in with the others on the plane. He looked surprisingly human, yet probably felt more alien here than he ever had before.
Robin squeezed his hand. “The last adventure.”
“You certainly are going to need me, Detective Chief Inspector.” Goodwin looked up and there she was, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, accompanied by a handsome young man in similar attire. She was almost star-struck at the woman – the famous television personality; the woman who had brought down Lord Dalta.
“Detective Inspector Rivers,” said Autumn Rivers, giving Goodwin a firm handshake. “This is my assistant, Tommy Lindsay.” The young man smiled. “Now, onto the murder.”
***
“Are you sure about this?” asked the Doctor, fastening his seatbelt. The plane was moving forwards at quite a speed now, preparing to lift off. They could hear the glasses on the trolley clanking against each other at the front of the craft.
“I’m sure. I said it shouldn’t be in the TARDIS – for the first time, I’m taking you on the adventure.” Robin reached across and took the Doctor’s hand. It was cold, but warmed quickly. The plane lifted off the ground, and the pair leaned back as they headed up into the sky.
“I know,” said the Doctor, nodding sadly. “Like you said, the last adventure.”
Robin looked across at the Doctor, attired in a pair of trousers and a brown shirt to blend in with the others on the plane. He looked surprisingly human, yet probably felt more alien here than he ever had before.
Robin squeezed his hand. “The last adventure.”
The Eighth Doctor Adventures
Series 2 - Episode 7
Wish You Were Here
Written by Janine Rivers
“Carrier 7 is travelling across half the empire,” explained DCI Goodwin. “And it’s 98% of the way there – it’s only taken them eight years.”
“And where are they going?” asked Tommy.
“The Capital.” Autumn was able to answer for Goodwin. That’s the only reason anyone would travel eight years across space in this thing. “It’s the centre of the empire – the place to be.” Goodwin regarded Tommy strangely, wondering why Autumn had to explain this to him. “There are two places in the empire of maximum importance. One is Planet Earth, in the centre – our heritage, preserved like a theme park. And the Capital, on the edge; the place for the richest and the most powerful, and for very, very lucky tourists. An industrial hub at its centre and around the edges so much more.”
“Have you ever been?”
“Once. When I was… well, famous.”
“And it was as amazing as it sounded?”
Autumn smiled. She knew she should say something else; make a speech about injustice, perhaps, or the value of smaller cultures. But she couldn’t lie to herself. “Yes. It was the most amazing place I’ve ever seen.”
“Anyway,” said Goodwin, continuing. “The crew is made up of five people – was made up of six, until this poor woman, Rozene, was tasered to death next to the engine room. Make of it what you will. I’ve got to leave now to deal with anti-terrorism. I’ve left the papers with the other officers, and the crime-scene’s yours. Interview all you like as well. We’ve slowed the voyage of the ship and put a tracker on it. None of these six people are leaving its confines until we’ve found whoever did this. Which is why we hired you, Miss Rivers. You’re so very swift.”
Autumn nodded. “Well, don’t let us hold you up, we’ve got more than enough to be getting on with here. How is anti-terrorism these days?”
Goodwin made a face. “Busy.”
As soon as Goodwin had left, Autumn knelt down to examine the body, slipping on a pair of latex gloves. They were at the front of the ship, in a small, poorly-lit area well out of the sight of the rest of the ship. Another door, to the engine room, was locked next to them. Opening the door, Autumn understood, would suspend the engines. There was no point looking inside – if anything had been hidden in there, someone would have opened the door already, and the engines would have stopped.
“What do you think?” asked Autumn, looking up at Tommy and then back down at the body.
“Rozene? I think she was probably quite a nice person.”
“I think she was probably quite young, and you’re letting that cloud your judgement. Look again.” Autumn inspected the woman’s fingernails under her microscope. “She keeps herself in quite a shape, probably spends half her day getting ready, holding the rest of the crew up. She’s wearing a short skirt, which is suggestive; she wants to be noticed, probably by the male members of her crew, because she’s bored and looking for some fun. And besides, she’s young and heading for the Capital, for all we know she’s off to some sugar-daddy she’s met online so she can enjoy the lifestyle.”
Tommy frowned. “No.”
“No?”
“No, I think you’re letting the surface cloud your judgement.” Without even kneeling down, Tommy offered an alternate explanation. “Look at the makeup, and the hair. It’s not excessive, and it’s not gaudy. She’s not trying to make a statement; she’s trying to cover up.” He gestured to the mascara. “Third attempt, maybe? It’s not showing off, it’s a confidence thing. She doesn’t think she’s good enough. And on a ship this size, travelling this slowly, where the engines are cut off from the rest of the ship, what’s to say her spending a few hours getting ready does hold the rest of the crew up? What’s to say it doesn’t just isolate her from the beginning of their social interactions while she’s working up the confidence to join them?”
Autumn considered.
“And then,” continued Tommy, “there’s the skirt. She doesn’t want to attract any of the male members of the crew – not after this long, and besides, if she thought wearing suggesting attire would work she’d have tried it a lot longer ago. She doesn’t want to be noticed, she wants to be accepted. She thinks it’s just what they want – what the Captain wants, maybe. She thinks that wearing the short skirt is the only thing that will let her get accepted.” He sighed. “I thought times had changed. She’s not looking for fun, she’s waiting for it. She’s young and heading for the Capital, and I think she’s off to a once-in-a-lifetime job offer. She’s intelligent, she spends a lot of time on her own; online, maybe, or whatever your equivalent is the future. Enough time to apply for the things she likes. She’s well-qualified, probably, maybe heading out for a medical research job.” He shook his head. “She just wanted to fit in. She ended up lying dead in a dark passageway on a spaceship a million miles from her home. You call yourselves the justice department?” He looked Autumn in the eye. “You’d better live up to that title.”
“Well…”
Autumn stood up, putting away her magnifying glass awkwardly. “That was very impressive. I knew all that already, of course, I just wanted to test you, call your bluff. Anyway, let’s, er…”
“Interview?”
“That’s it. Testing you again.”
***
“Is this definitely Barcelona?” questioned Robin as she walked out of baggage reclaim with the Doctor. “We haven’t just gone home or something?”
“No, why?”
“Because the signs are all in English…”
“Haha!” The Doctor laughed. “That’s the TARDIS, affecting us all the way out here. Translating foreign languages. Well, it will probably translate the locals as well, so that’ll be very useful.”
“My Spanish is quite good, actually.”
“You’re full of surprises…”
***
“It’s a bit of a patched-up spaceship to be travelling halfway across the universe,” said Tommy, feeling like if he stepped down too hard the whole thing would implode.
“Empire,” corrected Autumn. “The Empire is about as big as your mind is capable of comprehending. The universe, on the other hand is bigger. And no – it’s old but effective. Built to last.” She patted the wall as they walked into a smaller room, laid out by the officers present to resemble an interrogation room. “It travels at quite a speed and can keep up that speed – I mean, it’s a spaceship travelling through a vacuum, of course it could, but it’s still well-made. Almost entirely mechanical in the engine.”
***
“It’s very warm,” observed the Doctor, stepping out into the open. “I didn’t know Earth got this warm.”
“That’s because you only ever go to bloody London,” pointed out Robin. “This is where it’s at – you should get a Spanish companion when I’m gone.”
The Doctor tried to smile, but every time Robin talked about leaving, a part of him died. She was so resolved: not like all the others who made the decision suddenly and stopped, or those who weighed it up and carried on anyway. Robin had decided and arranged all of this as a goodbye (or a thank you – he hadn’t decided). Her own gift to him. You only give a gift, he’d realised, when you know what it is you’re celebrating.
He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t ready. That he would never be ready – that in his ideal world, he’d go on adventures with Robin Moon and drop her home in time for tea. That he’d teach that fiancé of hers how to cook a decent meal so it was all ready for her when she got in; that he’d give them money, and take them on holidays, like a family friend or a brother-in-law. But this was it. And the worst part was that he understood why – there was no way he could argue. No way by any rational logic, at least. Unfortunately, rational logic hardly appealed to his emotions.
***
“Hisoka Gotō. Ship’s engineer.” Autumn’s eyes tried to penetrate Hisoka’s emblematic mask, while he looked on in confusion, sweat gathering on his brow. Tommy wondered if she would treat all the suspects like this. “What brings you to the Capital?”
“I’m going on a holiday,” said Hisoka, seemingly leaving it at that.
“Expensive? And quite a long journey too. And, as it happens…” Autumn took on a quizzical tone. “No one to travel with?”
“The ship has a crew.” Hisoka paused after saying that, realising that it sounded sharp. “I’m sorry, I just meant – I am happy on my own, that is all.” He smiled. “And I have saved up for this for a long time.”
“Quite a long time, yes. As an engineer, too.”
“If I might say, Miss, I am the best in my field. And I have worked very hard, taking on many extra hours, to get here.”
Autumn nodded. “Well, I’m not going to search your accounts. Not yet anyway…” She flicked through the papers Goodwin had left with her. “Tell me, where were you on the night of the attack?”
“Well…”
“Where, on the ship, specifically?”
“Ah, I was busy trying to sort out the problem, mostly in the back of the ship – that is the easiest way to access information on the critical systems. The ship is more or less on autopilot, our Captain is just here to keep us in order and steer us out of any trouble.”
“The kind of trouble that requires a taser?”
“If that means terrorists then yes. And on that night, I did wonder whether maybe they had taken control of the ship, infiltrated to get into the Capital. But if you want to know where I was, any other member of the crew would back that up.”
“What did you think of her?” asked Tommy, interjecting before Autumn could get another question in. “What did you think of Rozene?”
“She was nice. Very kind.” Hisoka considered. “I never really spoke to her very much.”
***
“And where are they going?” asked Tommy.
“The Capital.” Autumn was able to answer for Goodwin. That’s the only reason anyone would travel eight years across space in this thing. “It’s the centre of the empire – the place to be.” Goodwin regarded Tommy strangely, wondering why Autumn had to explain this to him. “There are two places in the empire of maximum importance. One is Planet Earth, in the centre – our heritage, preserved like a theme park. And the Capital, on the edge; the place for the richest and the most powerful, and for very, very lucky tourists. An industrial hub at its centre and around the edges so much more.”
“Have you ever been?”
“Once. When I was… well, famous.”
“And it was as amazing as it sounded?”
Autumn smiled. She knew she should say something else; make a speech about injustice, perhaps, or the value of smaller cultures. But she couldn’t lie to herself. “Yes. It was the most amazing place I’ve ever seen.”
“Anyway,” said Goodwin, continuing. “The crew is made up of five people – was made up of six, until this poor woman, Rozene, was tasered to death next to the engine room. Make of it what you will. I’ve got to leave now to deal with anti-terrorism. I’ve left the papers with the other officers, and the crime-scene’s yours. Interview all you like as well. We’ve slowed the voyage of the ship and put a tracker on it. None of these six people are leaving its confines until we’ve found whoever did this. Which is why we hired you, Miss Rivers. You’re so very swift.”
Autumn nodded. “Well, don’t let us hold you up, we’ve got more than enough to be getting on with here. How is anti-terrorism these days?”
Goodwin made a face. “Busy.”
As soon as Goodwin had left, Autumn knelt down to examine the body, slipping on a pair of latex gloves. They were at the front of the ship, in a small, poorly-lit area well out of the sight of the rest of the ship. Another door, to the engine room, was locked next to them. Opening the door, Autumn understood, would suspend the engines. There was no point looking inside – if anything had been hidden in there, someone would have opened the door already, and the engines would have stopped.
“What do you think?” asked Autumn, looking up at Tommy and then back down at the body.
“Rozene? I think she was probably quite a nice person.”
“I think she was probably quite young, and you’re letting that cloud your judgement. Look again.” Autumn inspected the woman’s fingernails under her microscope. “She keeps herself in quite a shape, probably spends half her day getting ready, holding the rest of the crew up. She’s wearing a short skirt, which is suggestive; she wants to be noticed, probably by the male members of her crew, because she’s bored and looking for some fun. And besides, she’s young and heading for the Capital, for all we know she’s off to some sugar-daddy she’s met online so she can enjoy the lifestyle.”
Tommy frowned. “No.”
“No?”
“No, I think you’re letting the surface cloud your judgement.” Without even kneeling down, Tommy offered an alternate explanation. “Look at the makeup, and the hair. It’s not excessive, and it’s not gaudy. She’s not trying to make a statement; she’s trying to cover up.” He gestured to the mascara. “Third attempt, maybe? It’s not showing off, it’s a confidence thing. She doesn’t think she’s good enough. And on a ship this size, travelling this slowly, where the engines are cut off from the rest of the ship, what’s to say her spending a few hours getting ready does hold the rest of the crew up? What’s to say it doesn’t just isolate her from the beginning of their social interactions while she’s working up the confidence to join them?”
Autumn considered.
“And then,” continued Tommy, “there’s the skirt. She doesn’t want to attract any of the male members of the crew – not after this long, and besides, if she thought wearing suggesting attire would work she’d have tried it a lot longer ago. She doesn’t want to be noticed, she wants to be accepted. She thinks it’s just what they want – what the Captain wants, maybe. She thinks that wearing the short skirt is the only thing that will let her get accepted.” He sighed. “I thought times had changed. She’s not looking for fun, she’s waiting for it. She’s young and heading for the Capital, and I think she’s off to a once-in-a-lifetime job offer. She’s intelligent, she spends a lot of time on her own; online, maybe, or whatever your equivalent is the future. Enough time to apply for the things she likes. She’s well-qualified, probably, maybe heading out for a medical research job.” He shook his head. “She just wanted to fit in. She ended up lying dead in a dark passageway on a spaceship a million miles from her home. You call yourselves the justice department?” He looked Autumn in the eye. “You’d better live up to that title.”
“Well…”
Autumn stood up, putting away her magnifying glass awkwardly. “That was very impressive. I knew all that already, of course, I just wanted to test you, call your bluff. Anyway, let’s, er…”
“Interview?”
“That’s it. Testing you again.”
***
“Is this definitely Barcelona?” questioned Robin as she walked out of baggage reclaim with the Doctor. “We haven’t just gone home or something?”
“No, why?”
“Because the signs are all in English…”
“Haha!” The Doctor laughed. “That’s the TARDIS, affecting us all the way out here. Translating foreign languages. Well, it will probably translate the locals as well, so that’ll be very useful.”
“My Spanish is quite good, actually.”
“You’re full of surprises…”
***
“It’s a bit of a patched-up spaceship to be travelling halfway across the universe,” said Tommy, feeling like if he stepped down too hard the whole thing would implode.
“Empire,” corrected Autumn. “The Empire is about as big as your mind is capable of comprehending. The universe, on the other hand is bigger. And no – it’s old but effective. Built to last.” She patted the wall as they walked into a smaller room, laid out by the officers present to resemble an interrogation room. “It travels at quite a speed and can keep up that speed – I mean, it’s a spaceship travelling through a vacuum, of course it could, but it’s still well-made. Almost entirely mechanical in the engine.”
***
“It’s very warm,” observed the Doctor, stepping out into the open. “I didn’t know Earth got this warm.”
“That’s because you only ever go to bloody London,” pointed out Robin. “This is where it’s at – you should get a Spanish companion when I’m gone.”
The Doctor tried to smile, but every time Robin talked about leaving, a part of him died. She was so resolved: not like all the others who made the decision suddenly and stopped, or those who weighed it up and carried on anyway. Robin had decided and arranged all of this as a goodbye (or a thank you – he hadn’t decided). Her own gift to him. You only give a gift, he’d realised, when you know what it is you’re celebrating.
He wanted to tell her that he wasn’t ready. That he would never be ready – that in his ideal world, he’d go on adventures with Robin Moon and drop her home in time for tea. That he’d teach that fiancé of hers how to cook a decent meal so it was all ready for her when she got in; that he’d give them money, and take them on holidays, like a family friend or a brother-in-law. But this was it. And the worst part was that he understood why – there was no way he could argue. No way by any rational logic, at least. Unfortunately, rational logic hardly appealed to his emotions.
***
“Hisoka Gotō. Ship’s engineer.” Autumn’s eyes tried to penetrate Hisoka’s emblematic mask, while he looked on in confusion, sweat gathering on his brow. Tommy wondered if she would treat all the suspects like this. “What brings you to the Capital?”
“I’m going on a holiday,” said Hisoka, seemingly leaving it at that.
“Expensive? And quite a long journey too. And, as it happens…” Autumn took on a quizzical tone. “No one to travel with?”
“The ship has a crew.” Hisoka paused after saying that, realising that it sounded sharp. “I’m sorry, I just meant – I am happy on my own, that is all.” He smiled. “And I have saved up for this for a long time.”
“Quite a long time, yes. As an engineer, too.”
“If I might say, Miss, I am the best in my field. And I have worked very hard, taking on many extra hours, to get here.”
Autumn nodded. “Well, I’m not going to search your accounts. Not yet anyway…” She flicked through the papers Goodwin had left with her. “Tell me, where were you on the night of the attack?”
“Well…”
“Where, on the ship, specifically?”
“Ah, I was busy trying to sort out the problem, mostly in the back of the ship – that is the easiest way to access information on the critical systems. The ship is more or less on autopilot, our Captain is just here to keep us in order and steer us out of any trouble.”
“The kind of trouble that requires a taser?”
“If that means terrorists then yes. And on that night, I did wonder whether maybe they had taken control of the ship, infiltrated to get into the Capital. But if you want to know where I was, any other member of the crew would back that up.”
“What did you think of her?” asked Tommy, interjecting before Autumn could get another question in. “What did you think of Rozene?”
“She was nice. Very kind.” Hisoka considered. “I never really spoke to her very much.”
***
The Doctor and Robin, beginning to find themselves getting tired, pushed up the last bit of hill before the hotel. It was roasting here – hotter than it had been outside the airport – but even so, it was hard not to appreciate the picture, especially bathed in sunlight. The tall, carefully-sculpted hedges reminded the Doctor of Applapuccia; and the Palau Nacional, risen above them by resplendent stairs and waterfalls, was like St Paul’s Cathedral moved to Mount Olympus; human architecture made by gods.
“I can see why you like it here,” admitted the Doctor. “I’m impressed.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just you wait for the night.”
“So how many times have you been here before?”
“Twice. My honeymoon, and one year later.”
“Both times with-“
“Harry? Yes. I never got to take Tommy – my Tommy, I mean – but this was always our place as a couple, anyway.”
“You never said much about Harry.” The Doctor slowed up, noticing Robin tiring, and moved aside to let a few faster walkers past. “Losing Tommy was so big, obviously, but I never asked about Harry. What was he like?”
“Funny and kind,” said Robin, smiling at the memory of her husband, still so vivid in her mind. She decided not to mention that she still dreamt about him sometimes – but even in her dreams, she had long accepted that he was never to return. “Everything any woman ever wanted in a man but without the pretence that comes with it. Always honest to me. Always listened to me. And he had his flaws; who doesn’t? He was a bit naïve sometimes. Dreadfully forgetful.”
The Doctor laughed, reminded of himself. “And a good dad?”
“A very good dad,” agreed Robin, “and a wonderful husband.”
“I’m sorry.” The Doctor looked to the ground.
“You always are. And I’m always grateful for that.” Robin linked arms with the Doctor, nudging him affectionately to lighten the mood.
***
“Iaura Aguilar. Ship’s medic.” Autumn skimmed through another file, not making eye contact with the woman in front of her – slim, dark-haired and attractive; and far less stressed, ostensibly, that Hisoka had been. “It says here you’re on your way to a medical conference in the Capital. Opportunity of a lifetime?”
“Yes. Why else would I be going?” Iaura said everything as if introducing herself for the first time; reserved, but incredibly friendly with a reassuring smile on her face – and, if the comparison proved true, permanently thinking something else within.
“Where were you on the night of the incident?”
“Evidently-“
“Where on the ship,” corrected Autumn, exasperated.
“Asleep. I had a headache. Shortly after Rozene died, the others came to wake me, to see if I could save her. They all know I couldn’t of course… but I suppose they all hoped.”
“So she was liked?”
“Even if she wasn’t, no one would have wished her dead. But…” Iaura thought to herself, even smiling as she did that. “She was liked. Loved, even. Quiet thing, for the first few years, but really starting to come out of her shell, wanting to prove herself.” Tommy felt satisfied with his deductions. “Very sad.”
***
“Nice hotel room,” said the Doctor. Night was beginning to fall, and Robin had switched the lights on; there were lamps, and long lights stretching across the sides of the mirror. Very modern, by the standards of the 21st Century at least. “Not exactly the TARDIS, but nice.”
“You could never do it, could you?” Robin laughed, pouring them both a tea using the kettle provided. “You could never stay on Earth. It would drive you insane.”
“I did once.” The Doctor dumped his suitcase on the floor and sat down on the bed closest to the window.
“I bet you were a different man back then.”
“I was, quite literally. Ah, thank you.” He took the tea Robin had made him, and when he took a sip was reminded of something. “I like all this, though. I like the tea, I like your culture, I like your values. I love your planet, but I love it how you love Barcelona. A memory I can visit every so often.” Getting her tea, Robin sat down next to him, listening intently to his thoughts. “A place I can dream about returning to. It’s not my home – not quite.”
“Doctor, you haven’t been to your real home in years.”
“I haven’t. I’ve been putting it off.”
“And do you think you’ll go back?”
The Doctor thought about it. “Eventually, yes. But only when I need to. It’s not somewhere I’m in a hurry to visit.” He tried to joke about it. “Your lot have much nicer hats.”
“But you can understand why I’m staying? Why I’m making this decision?”
“Robin, in our last adventure, you were nearly killed. You miscarried – your first opportunity to start again and I ruined it. You should hate me.”
“Why should I?” Robin put her tea down on the table so she could be more expressive with her body language. “What have you done to deserve that? You didn’t kill my baby. And I knew the risks when I agreed to travel with you again. But I still know the risks, and that’s why I’m saying this is enough. I loved being married and I loved being a mother, and if I stay here for long enough I can do that again. This has been the best adventure of my life, but time and space was never my home, it was my holiday, like Earth is yours.” She patted the Doctor on the knee. “That’s who we are to each other.”
***
“Nick Wilson. So you’re the Captain, then.” Autumn sat forward, fascinated. Nick appeared British, with facial features not unlike those she’d seen frequently in the 21st Century, and he spoke like a Londoner. As she interrogated him, he sat back on his chair, asserting authority by showing a lack of worry – a technique Autumn struggled to overcome. “I’d ask you what brings you to the Capital, but I’ve seen the payslip. Every ship needs a captain, and piloting this one will give you enough money to buy a home somewhere quieter on the planet. I can’t blame you for taking that opportunity, so I only have one question for you: where were you on the night of the attack?”
“Obviously-“
“On the ship!” corrected Autumn, a little louder than she had expected. “Whereabouts on the ship were you?”
“When the lights went off and the coms went down, I went to see what was wrong.”
“And what did you find?”
“Minor problem, just a leftover from before, that’s all.”
“Before?”
Nick sighed. “A year ago, we had an engine failure, and landed on a Level 3 planet. Hisoka had a look at the engines, said they were beyond repair. The locals – friendly bunch, bit underdeveloped – offered help. They put my crew up and I got a team of them together to work on the engine like Hisoka had said. He didn’t think it could be done but we managed it. We all left, and then everything went down a year later. Probably connected, but it doesn’t matter, it won’t happen again.”
“Someone died,” remarked Autumn, shocked that Nick seemed to have forgotten the corpse that lay on the floor of their ship as a consequence.
“And that’s very sad.” Nick sat forward. “But I’ve got a job to do.”
“And when you did that job on the night of the attack, you went down to have a look. Where was Rozene then?”
“Alive. She’d gone down to have a look first. I told her to wait there, to keep an eye, and left to check on the others. By the time I sent Foluke down, she was dead. If there’s a suspect in all this it’s him, but if you ask any of my crew, they’ll tell you it wasn’t me. Happy?”
“Very. But only for a while – I’m hard to keep satisfied.” Autumn waved him off. “I’ll be back to ask more questions.” She waved to the security guard. “Send another one in.”
A woman entered; middle-aged, with curly brown hair and a soft smile. Autumn tried to form a word for her: experienced. “Claudia Johnston,” said Autumn, glancing at her file. “What brings you to the Capital?”
“My daughter, Anna. She’s fourteen years old and lives there. When my mum was dying I had to go home but I could only afford a ticket for one – Anna is staying with her aunt. I haven’t seen her for five years. They picked me up later than the rest,” she clarified. “I was the closest, but this was the cheapest way home. So I suppose you want to ask me some questions?”
“Where were you on the night of the attack?”
“Just writing a journal,” said Claudia, and Autumn quietly cheered at the first straight answer. “I went down to see what was wrong just after the Captain left but the door was looked. He came back out, send me back up. I never got to see the body.”
“So you suspect the Captain?”
“No.” Claudia shook her head resolutely.
“But all the evidence you saw suggests it was him.”
“Apart from the evidence of who he is. I know the Captain. He’s a good man. And he’s the only person I know on this ship who definitely didn’t do it. If you’re looking to him –“ she cleared her throat. “With all due respect, and you’ve been doing a fantastic job here, but if you’re looking to him, you’re wasting your time.”
***
Robin looked out of the window of her hotel over the city, as the Doctor changed in the bathroom, switching to the suit he had been wearing the night he met Robin – she thought he would cook in it, but then, she realised, he was an alien; his body temperature probably worked differently to ours.
“It’s dark now,” she said, calling the Doctor. “The fountain will come to life in about twenty minutes. You don’t want to miss it.”
***
“Foluke Sall.” Autumn studied the final crewmember suspiciously. He regarded her much the same way. “What brings you to the Capital?”
“Let’s get the elephant in the room out the way.” Foluke crossed his arms. “I’m a protester. I’m heading out to the Capital to cause as much chaos as I can manage because of the way my region of space is being treated by the government. I don’t have any problem with anyone else on the ship, but that’s why I’m going, and I paid quite a sum to get on this ship.”
“But what about Rozene Ramirez? The epitome of what this Empire looks like, out to find a new life, with all the opportunities presented to her. Surely she annoyed you sometimes? She stood for everything you despised.”
“She made the most of a bad system, there’s a difference. I liked Rozene.” Tommy could tell that Foluke already disliked Autumn, perhaps sensing that he was down as her main suspect.
“Where on the ship were you on the night of the attack?” asked Tommy, having observed for long enough.
“I found the body.”
“Well…” Autumn raised her eyebrows and jotted down a note on her pad. Foluke glared.
“The captain went down, and so did the engineer.” Foluke spoke of his fellow crewmembers using common nouns; as if they were ideas, not people. It was a strange kind of detachment for people he had known for the best part of a decade. “Investigate them.”
“You suspect them?”
“Yes. And I’m not going to hide who I suspect. I’d suspect any of them, but they’re the ones we’ve got evidence for. I want to reach the Capital, detective, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Like murder?”
“Like solving one. Rozene wasn’t a threat to my journey. But maybe one of those others is. And I’m not prepared to have my cause sacrificed because some idiot-“ he ignored Tommy and stared at Autumn “-couldn’t do her job properly.”
***
“I can see why you like it here,” admitted the Doctor. “I’m impressed.”
“Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet. Just you wait for the night.”
“So how many times have you been here before?”
“Twice. My honeymoon, and one year later.”
“Both times with-“
“Harry? Yes. I never got to take Tommy – my Tommy, I mean – but this was always our place as a couple, anyway.”
“You never said much about Harry.” The Doctor slowed up, noticing Robin tiring, and moved aside to let a few faster walkers past. “Losing Tommy was so big, obviously, but I never asked about Harry. What was he like?”
“Funny and kind,” said Robin, smiling at the memory of her husband, still so vivid in her mind. She decided not to mention that she still dreamt about him sometimes – but even in her dreams, she had long accepted that he was never to return. “Everything any woman ever wanted in a man but without the pretence that comes with it. Always honest to me. Always listened to me. And he had his flaws; who doesn’t? He was a bit naïve sometimes. Dreadfully forgetful.”
The Doctor laughed, reminded of himself. “And a good dad?”
“A very good dad,” agreed Robin, “and a wonderful husband.”
“I’m sorry.” The Doctor looked to the ground.
“You always are. And I’m always grateful for that.” Robin linked arms with the Doctor, nudging him affectionately to lighten the mood.
***
“Iaura Aguilar. Ship’s medic.” Autumn skimmed through another file, not making eye contact with the woman in front of her – slim, dark-haired and attractive; and far less stressed, ostensibly, that Hisoka had been. “It says here you’re on your way to a medical conference in the Capital. Opportunity of a lifetime?”
“Yes. Why else would I be going?” Iaura said everything as if introducing herself for the first time; reserved, but incredibly friendly with a reassuring smile on her face – and, if the comparison proved true, permanently thinking something else within.
“Where were you on the night of the incident?”
“Evidently-“
“Where on the ship,” corrected Autumn, exasperated.
“Asleep. I had a headache. Shortly after Rozene died, the others came to wake me, to see if I could save her. They all know I couldn’t of course… but I suppose they all hoped.”
“So she was liked?”
“Even if she wasn’t, no one would have wished her dead. But…” Iaura thought to herself, even smiling as she did that. “She was liked. Loved, even. Quiet thing, for the first few years, but really starting to come out of her shell, wanting to prove herself.” Tommy felt satisfied with his deductions. “Very sad.”
***
“Nice hotel room,” said the Doctor. Night was beginning to fall, and Robin had switched the lights on; there were lamps, and long lights stretching across the sides of the mirror. Very modern, by the standards of the 21st Century at least. “Not exactly the TARDIS, but nice.”
“You could never do it, could you?” Robin laughed, pouring them both a tea using the kettle provided. “You could never stay on Earth. It would drive you insane.”
“I did once.” The Doctor dumped his suitcase on the floor and sat down on the bed closest to the window.
“I bet you were a different man back then.”
“I was, quite literally. Ah, thank you.” He took the tea Robin had made him, and when he took a sip was reminded of something. “I like all this, though. I like the tea, I like your culture, I like your values. I love your planet, but I love it how you love Barcelona. A memory I can visit every so often.” Getting her tea, Robin sat down next to him, listening intently to his thoughts. “A place I can dream about returning to. It’s not my home – not quite.”
“Doctor, you haven’t been to your real home in years.”
“I haven’t. I’ve been putting it off.”
“And do you think you’ll go back?”
The Doctor thought about it. “Eventually, yes. But only when I need to. It’s not somewhere I’m in a hurry to visit.” He tried to joke about it. “Your lot have much nicer hats.”
“But you can understand why I’m staying? Why I’m making this decision?”
“Robin, in our last adventure, you were nearly killed. You miscarried – your first opportunity to start again and I ruined it. You should hate me.”
“Why should I?” Robin put her tea down on the table so she could be more expressive with her body language. “What have you done to deserve that? You didn’t kill my baby. And I knew the risks when I agreed to travel with you again. But I still know the risks, and that’s why I’m saying this is enough. I loved being married and I loved being a mother, and if I stay here for long enough I can do that again. This has been the best adventure of my life, but time and space was never my home, it was my holiday, like Earth is yours.” She patted the Doctor on the knee. “That’s who we are to each other.”
***
“Nick Wilson. So you’re the Captain, then.” Autumn sat forward, fascinated. Nick appeared British, with facial features not unlike those she’d seen frequently in the 21st Century, and he spoke like a Londoner. As she interrogated him, he sat back on his chair, asserting authority by showing a lack of worry – a technique Autumn struggled to overcome. “I’d ask you what brings you to the Capital, but I’ve seen the payslip. Every ship needs a captain, and piloting this one will give you enough money to buy a home somewhere quieter on the planet. I can’t blame you for taking that opportunity, so I only have one question for you: where were you on the night of the attack?”
“Obviously-“
“On the ship!” corrected Autumn, a little louder than she had expected. “Whereabouts on the ship were you?”
“When the lights went off and the coms went down, I went to see what was wrong.”
“And what did you find?”
“Minor problem, just a leftover from before, that’s all.”
“Before?”
Nick sighed. “A year ago, we had an engine failure, and landed on a Level 3 planet. Hisoka had a look at the engines, said they were beyond repair. The locals – friendly bunch, bit underdeveloped – offered help. They put my crew up and I got a team of them together to work on the engine like Hisoka had said. He didn’t think it could be done but we managed it. We all left, and then everything went down a year later. Probably connected, but it doesn’t matter, it won’t happen again.”
“Someone died,” remarked Autumn, shocked that Nick seemed to have forgotten the corpse that lay on the floor of their ship as a consequence.
“And that’s very sad.” Nick sat forward. “But I’ve got a job to do.”
“And when you did that job on the night of the attack, you went down to have a look. Where was Rozene then?”
“Alive. She’d gone down to have a look first. I told her to wait there, to keep an eye, and left to check on the others. By the time I sent Foluke down, she was dead. If there’s a suspect in all this it’s him, but if you ask any of my crew, they’ll tell you it wasn’t me. Happy?”
“Very. But only for a while – I’m hard to keep satisfied.” Autumn waved him off. “I’ll be back to ask more questions.” She waved to the security guard. “Send another one in.”
A woman entered; middle-aged, with curly brown hair and a soft smile. Autumn tried to form a word for her: experienced. “Claudia Johnston,” said Autumn, glancing at her file. “What brings you to the Capital?”
“My daughter, Anna. She’s fourteen years old and lives there. When my mum was dying I had to go home but I could only afford a ticket for one – Anna is staying with her aunt. I haven’t seen her for five years. They picked me up later than the rest,” she clarified. “I was the closest, but this was the cheapest way home. So I suppose you want to ask me some questions?”
“Where were you on the night of the attack?”
“Just writing a journal,” said Claudia, and Autumn quietly cheered at the first straight answer. “I went down to see what was wrong just after the Captain left but the door was looked. He came back out, send me back up. I never got to see the body.”
“So you suspect the Captain?”
“No.” Claudia shook her head resolutely.
“But all the evidence you saw suggests it was him.”
“Apart from the evidence of who he is. I know the Captain. He’s a good man. And he’s the only person I know on this ship who definitely didn’t do it. If you’re looking to him –“ she cleared her throat. “With all due respect, and you’ve been doing a fantastic job here, but if you’re looking to him, you’re wasting your time.”
***
Robin looked out of the window of her hotel over the city, as the Doctor changed in the bathroom, switching to the suit he had been wearing the night he met Robin – she thought he would cook in it, but then, she realised, he was an alien; his body temperature probably worked differently to ours.
“It’s dark now,” she said, calling the Doctor. “The fountain will come to life in about twenty minutes. You don’t want to miss it.”
***
“Foluke Sall.” Autumn studied the final crewmember suspiciously. He regarded her much the same way. “What brings you to the Capital?”
“Let’s get the elephant in the room out the way.” Foluke crossed his arms. “I’m a protester. I’m heading out to the Capital to cause as much chaos as I can manage because of the way my region of space is being treated by the government. I don’t have any problem with anyone else on the ship, but that’s why I’m going, and I paid quite a sum to get on this ship.”
“But what about Rozene Ramirez? The epitome of what this Empire looks like, out to find a new life, with all the opportunities presented to her. Surely she annoyed you sometimes? She stood for everything you despised.”
“She made the most of a bad system, there’s a difference. I liked Rozene.” Tommy could tell that Foluke already disliked Autumn, perhaps sensing that he was down as her main suspect.
“Where on the ship were you on the night of the attack?” asked Tommy, having observed for long enough.
“I found the body.”
“Well…” Autumn raised her eyebrows and jotted down a note on her pad. Foluke glared.
“The captain went down, and so did the engineer.” Foluke spoke of his fellow crewmembers using common nouns; as if they were ideas, not people. It was a strange kind of detachment for people he had known for the best part of a decade. “Investigate them.”
“You suspect them?”
“Yes. And I’m not going to hide who I suspect. I’d suspect any of them, but they’re the ones we’ve got evidence for. I want to reach the Capital, detective, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“Like murder?”
“Like solving one. Rozene wasn’t a threat to my journey. But maybe one of those others is. And I’m not prepared to have my cause sacrificed because some idiot-“ he ignored Tommy and stared at Autumn “-couldn’t do her job properly.”
***
The experience was every bit as spectacular as the Doctor had imagined. The Doctor and Robin, dressed to their smartest, were two of what felt like hundreds, thousands of people gathered around the hill of Montjuïc to see the fountains. People had cameras out; some were already recording, trying to catch the fountains as they started, whilst others turned to take selfies against the lit palace behind, smiling without having to fake their elation.
The fountains began, with jets of water flying up a few metres, each staggered from the next. The jets moved, waving in and out of each other like a practised dance, and lights from beneath the fountain lit it up all colours of the spectrum. The crowds cheered, and music played from the palace, as other spotlights surrounded the fountain. Couples lay back behind the waterfalls with glasses of wine, content in each other’s company: Robin was reminded of her first visit, but shook the thought off, enjoying the context she was now seeing the waterfalls in.
The jets of water continued to dance, rising higher. Couples kissed. Children played, trying to stand up and balance on the edges. The music got louder. People cheered. Families hugged. Photos were taken and memories were engrained, never to be deleted and never to be forgotten.
“It really is fun being the companion,” admitted the Doctor.
Robin smiled, a tear in her eye. “It really is fun being the Doctor.”
“And it was fun sharing that.” The Doctor put his arm around Robin. “Don’t forget me.”
“There are some memories you can never forget, however hard you try. But when you’ve got infinity at the press of a button, no memory is any more precious than the rest.” Robin looked up at the Time Lord, secretly terrified of what would happen to him not soon after she had left, but an eternity after she had died. “Please don’t forget me, Doctor. Don’t forget any of this.”
“This is more precious than infinity.” The Doctor reached out and, on this one and only time, took Robin’s hand in his. “I’ll never forget it, not ever.”
***
“Where are we going?” asked Tommy, as Autumn led him to the front of the ship.
“Away.” Autumn reached the TARDIS and took out her key.
“Hang on,” protested Tommy, “we need to stay and solve this! We’ve barely started.”
“And we will!” assured Autumn. “But we’ve got a time machine. This isn’t a day’s work, this is a hobby. We can come back – we will come back. And we will solve this case for good, eventually. But not yet.” She stepped back into the TARDIS, waiting for Tommy to enter as well. “We’ve got plenty of adventures left to have – there’s never any rush!”
Tommy entered too and closed the door behind him, still a little taken aback by the magnitude of the ship. Autumn piloted the controls, and the ship flew smoothly than Tommy had ever known it to before.
“Thank you for coming with me,” said Autumn, unexpectedly. “Your company is very beneficial.”
“I didn’t exactly say much…”
“But you thought. Constantly, every second, you were thinking.” Autumn looked at Tommy, her eyes running wild. “That’s brilliant. You wait until you’re sure and then you… you sing.”
“Oh.” Tommy was flattered. “Well, er, thanks.”
“We’ll come back and solve the murder another time,” promised Autumn. “We just need time to think on it. For now… where shall we go? Earth?”
“You mean my time?”
“Yes. I did rather enjoy shopping.” Autumn took her scarf off the bookcase where she’d balanced it haphazardly, as if to say this is what I bought when you let me loose in London. “Natalie?”
“Yeah,” agreed Tommy. “Let’s go shopping with Natalie.”
***
The Doctor and Robin had walked forwards, and were now stood behind the fountains, only a few yards from them. The palace stood the other side, a sort of distant fairy-tale. The music was louder here, but the Doctor and Robin could still hear each other. Just behind the fountains, far below them, was the city of Barcelona, still full of life.
“Have you got your sonic screwdriver?” inquired Robin.
“Er, yes, I have.” The Doctor took the sonic out his jacket pocket.
“And a remote control to summon the TARDIS all the way from London?”
“Um…” The Doctor struggled to work out what Robin was implying.
Robin laughed. “I knew it. It’s fine, don’t look so horror-stricken. It’s just…” she looked up at the fountains, currently firing shorter jets and glowing a deep red. “Like you said, a holiday. We could finish here. This is a good time to end, isn’t it?”
“Now?” The Doctor sounded like her son Tommy when she had sent him to bed early when he had been unwell.
“Yes.” Robin nodded. “Now.”
The Doctor understood. “You’ll come on more adventures, won’t you? There are still so many places I wanted to show you.” He beamed at Robin, and his eyes lit up. It was a trick that had worked so many times before. “We could see all 700 wonders of the universe in order, have espresso with Einstein, or play kiss chase with the Beatles in a Mayan temple on Mars. Anywhere, anyone, anything.”
Robin shook her head. This time it was her turn to say it to him. “I’m sorry.”
Unable to express his actions in words, the Doctor embraced Robin in a hug, and wished the moment would last forever. He wondered what her face looked like as they hugged – was it like his, getting the tears out while she couldn’t see? Or was it the same as it had been when she addressed him a few seconds ago – was she always the same person? The Doctor was never sure how much you could know a person, but here and now, he felt as if he knew Robin Moon as much as any person could know another.
They finished hugging, and the Doctor took out his TARDIS key, and using both the key and the sonic to amplify its signal, summoned his ship. He smiled at Robin, straightening his jacket. She stepped back; any second now, the TARDIS would materialise around him. Then that would be it forever.
No. Robin shook that thought aside. Not forever. A part of her knew she would see the Doctor again. The story was over; that much she decided. But she had read enough books to know that all the best stories have epilogues. As if reading her mind, the Doctor said one last thing to Robin.
“Until the next time.”
And with that, the TARDIS appeared. People didn’t even seem to notice – at that precise moment, the fountains blasted their greatest jets yet, forming a series of waves coloured TARDIS-blue. As they faded, Robin recognised a familiar face behind them, and the sound of the TARDIS dematerialising.
“Oh my God. Chris!”
Robin’s fiancé ran around the fountains, nearly slipping, and embraced her. She still had two days of the holiday left. Maybe they’d give the honeymoon a miss – maybe this could be their honeymoon. It was before the wedding, yes: but as Robin thought, she had long been accustomed to a life of living things in the wrong order.
***
Autumn and Tommy stood outside a jewellery shop, waiting for Natalie as they had arranged. The city of London was abuzz around them, and they kept to the side to make way for tourists, businessmen and whoever else occupied the city in these late hours. As much as he resented some of his country’s ideologies, Tommy couldn’t help but admire the appearance of it, even if walking through London sometimes felt like swimming through a massive goldfish bowl.
“We should do that more often,” said Autumn.
“You mean go out?” Tommy realised how that sounded. “Solve crimes?”
“All of that.” There was an awkward silence. “The Doctor’s not always here, sometimes I’m left to pilot the TARDIS on my own. I’ve always managed fine but some company would be nice.”
“Sure. As long as I’m not cramping your style,” joked Tommy. “I’m probably a relic by your time.”
“You’re so far ahead of my time.”
Tommy wondered whether that isolated him. He did sometimes think differently to those around him – quite often, in fact. He was reminded of his goldfish bowl analogy, and a song lyric came to his mind. Two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl. He tried to remember what song it was from but failed to place it. He’d kick himself later.
“You said the Doctor would find the TARDIS?”
“The Doctor will probably summon the TARDIS,” said Autumn. “He’ll never even realise we went anywhere. But I’ve left a note to say we’re out.”
“How long is it since he’s been on his own?”
Autumn shrugged. “I don’t know if I’ve ever thought about it. A while, I suppose.” She spotted Natalie across the street and waved her over. “But he’ll be fine – I don’t know about you, but I’m not going anywhere.”
***
The inside of the Doctor’s ship was empty. The ship lit up slightly noticing his presence. He approached the console, trying to decide which coordinates to set. The future, perhaps. Yes – the future. That way, he would be able to get Autumn and Tommy back right away without cutting in one whatever they were doing in his absence.
He admired the architecture of the TARDIS. He loved his new desktop theme, but he had missed the obvious inspiration behind it: people. It was large and airy, with places to stand and sit. A place for a team. The TARDIS had plucked it from his thoughts, from what he wanted, anticipated – he had just assumed that his friends would stay forever.
Robin had left her coat on the side. The Doctor wondered what to do with it. She had another, and it was torn from a previous adventure. He couldn’t quite face getting rid of it either.
He abandoned his hope of tapping in coordinates and headed down to the bar, pouring himself a glass of lemonade. He tried to ignore the empty seats beside him, and looked up at the painting of Gallifrey on his wall. The thought of home made him feel more isolated than ever – it seemed so far away now, and Robin was right; it had been a long time. He would let it take longer.
He took a while over his lemonade, and found himself a book to read. He let the TARDIS stay where it was; a funny object on a London street. No one would question it there. No one would even notice it.
The fountains began, with jets of water flying up a few metres, each staggered from the next. The jets moved, waving in and out of each other like a practised dance, and lights from beneath the fountain lit it up all colours of the spectrum. The crowds cheered, and music played from the palace, as other spotlights surrounded the fountain. Couples lay back behind the waterfalls with glasses of wine, content in each other’s company: Robin was reminded of her first visit, but shook the thought off, enjoying the context she was now seeing the waterfalls in.
The jets of water continued to dance, rising higher. Couples kissed. Children played, trying to stand up and balance on the edges. The music got louder. People cheered. Families hugged. Photos were taken and memories were engrained, never to be deleted and never to be forgotten.
“It really is fun being the companion,” admitted the Doctor.
Robin smiled, a tear in her eye. “It really is fun being the Doctor.”
“And it was fun sharing that.” The Doctor put his arm around Robin. “Don’t forget me.”
“There are some memories you can never forget, however hard you try. But when you’ve got infinity at the press of a button, no memory is any more precious than the rest.” Robin looked up at the Time Lord, secretly terrified of what would happen to him not soon after she had left, but an eternity after she had died. “Please don’t forget me, Doctor. Don’t forget any of this.”
“This is more precious than infinity.” The Doctor reached out and, on this one and only time, took Robin’s hand in his. “I’ll never forget it, not ever.”
***
“Where are we going?” asked Tommy, as Autumn led him to the front of the ship.
“Away.” Autumn reached the TARDIS and took out her key.
“Hang on,” protested Tommy, “we need to stay and solve this! We’ve barely started.”
“And we will!” assured Autumn. “But we’ve got a time machine. This isn’t a day’s work, this is a hobby. We can come back – we will come back. And we will solve this case for good, eventually. But not yet.” She stepped back into the TARDIS, waiting for Tommy to enter as well. “We’ve got plenty of adventures left to have – there’s never any rush!”
Tommy entered too and closed the door behind him, still a little taken aback by the magnitude of the ship. Autumn piloted the controls, and the ship flew smoothly than Tommy had ever known it to before.
“Thank you for coming with me,” said Autumn, unexpectedly. “Your company is very beneficial.”
“I didn’t exactly say much…”
“But you thought. Constantly, every second, you were thinking.” Autumn looked at Tommy, her eyes running wild. “That’s brilliant. You wait until you’re sure and then you… you sing.”
“Oh.” Tommy was flattered. “Well, er, thanks.”
“We’ll come back and solve the murder another time,” promised Autumn. “We just need time to think on it. For now… where shall we go? Earth?”
“You mean my time?”
“Yes. I did rather enjoy shopping.” Autumn took her scarf off the bookcase where she’d balanced it haphazardly, as if to say this is what I bought when you let me loose in London. “Natalie?”
“Yeah,” agreed Tommy. “Let’s go shopping with Natalie.”
***
The Doctor and Robin had walked forwards, and were now stood behind the fountains, only a few yards from them. The palace stood the other side, a sort of distant fairy-tale. The music was louder here, but the Doctor and Robin could still hear each other. Just behind the fountains, far below them, was the city of Barcelona, still full of life.
“Have you got your sonic screwdriver?” inquired Robin.
“Er, yes, I have.” The Doctor took the sonic out his jacket pocket.
“And a remote control to summon the TARDIS all the way from London?”
“Um…” The Doctor struggled to work out what Robin was implying.
Robin laughed. “I knew it. It’s fine, don’t look so horror-stricken. It’s just…” she looked up at the fountains, currently firing shorter jets and glowing a deep red. “Like you said, a holiday. We could finish here. This is a good time to end, isn’t it?”
“Now?” The Doctor sounded like her son Tommy when she had sent him to bed early when he had been unwell.
“Yes.” Robin nodded. “Now.”
The Doctor understood. “You’ll come on more adventures, won’t you? There are still so many places I wanted to show you.” He beamed at Robin, and his eyes lit up. It was a trick that had worked so many times before. “We could see all 700 wonders of the universe in order, have espresso with Einstein, or play kiss chase with the Beatles in a Mayan temple on Mars. Anywhere, anyone, anything.”
Robin shook her head. This time it was her turn to say it to him. “I’m sorry.”
Unable to express his actions in words, the Doctor embraced Robin in a hug, and wished the moment would last forever. He wondered what her face looked like as they hugged – was it like his, getting the tears out while she couldn’t see? Or was it the same as it had been when she addressed him a few seconds ago – was she always the same person? The Doctor was never sure how much you could know a person, but here and now, he felt as if he knew Robin Moon as much as any person could know another.
They finished hugging, and the Doctor took out his TARDIS key, and using both the key and the sonic to amplify its signal, summoned his ship. He smiled at Robin, straightening his jacket. She stepped back; any second now, the TARDIS would materialise around him. Then that would be it forever.
No. Robin shook that thought aside. Not forever. A part of her knew she would see the Doctor again. The story was over; that much she decided. But she had read enough books to know that all the best stories have epilogues. As if reading her mind, the Doctor said one last thing to Robin.
“Until the next time.”
And with that, the TARDIS appeared. People didn’t even seem to notice – at that precise moment, the fountains blasted their greatest jets yet, forming a series of waves coloured TARDIS-blue. As they faded, Robin recognised a familiar face behind them, and the sound of the TARDIS dematerialising.
“Oh my God. Chris!”
Robin’s fiancé ran around the fountains, nearly slipping, and embraced her. She still had two days of the holiday left. Maybe they’d give the honeymoon a miss – maybe this could be their honeymoon. It was before the wedding, yes: but as Robin thought, she had long been accustomed to a life of living things in the wrong order.
***
Autumn and Tommy stood outside a jewellery shop, waiting for Natalie as they had arranged. The city of London was abuzz around them, and they kept to the side to make way for tourists, businessmen and whoever else occupied the city in these late hours. As much as he resented some of his country’s ideologies, Tommy couldn’t help but admire the appearance of it, even if walking through London sometimes felt like swimming through a massive goldfish bowl.
“We should do that more often,” said Autumn.
“You mean go out?” Tommy realised how that sounded. “Solve crimes?”
“All of that.” There was an awkward silence. “The Doctor’s not always here, sometimes I’m left to pilot the TARDIS on my own. I’ve always managed fine but some company would be nice.”
“Sure. As long as I’m not cramping your style,” joked Tommy. “I’m probably a relic by your time.”
“You’re so far ahead of my time.”
Tommy wondered whether that isolated him. He did sometimes think differently to those around him – quite often, in fact. He was reminded of his goldfish bowl analogy, and a song lyric came to his mind. Two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl. He tried to remember what song it was from but failed to place it. He’d kick himself later.
“You said the Doctor would find the TARDIS?”
“The Doctor will probably summon the TARDIS,” said Autumn. “He’ll never even realise we went anywhere. But I’ve left a note to say we’re out.”
“How long is it since he’s been on his own?”
Autumn shrugged. “I don’t know if I’ve ever thought about it. A while, I suppose.” She spotted Natalie across the street and waved her over. “But he’ll be fine – I don’t know about you, but I’m not going anywhere.”
***
The inside of the Doctor’s ship was empty. The ship lit up slightly noticing his presence. He approached the console, trying to decide which coordinates to set. The future, perhaps. Yes – the future. That way, he would be able to get Autumn and Tommy back right away without cutting in one whatever they were doing in his absence.
He admired the architecture of the TARDIS. He loved his new desktop theme, but he had missed the obvious inspiration behind it: people. It was large and airy, with places to stand and sit. A place for a team. The TARDIS had plucked it from his thoughts, from what he wanted, anticipated – he had just assumed that his friends would stay forever.
Robin had left her coat on the side. The Doctor wondered what to do with it. She had another, and it was torn from a previous adventure. He couldn’t quite face getting rid of it either.
He abandoned his hope of tapping in coordinates and headed down to the bar, pouring himself a glass of lemonade. He tried to ignore the empty seats beside him, and looked up at the painting of Gallifrey on his wall. The thought of home made him feel more isolated than ever – it seemed so far away now, and Robin was right; it had been a long time. He would let it take longer.
He took a while over his lemonade, and found himself a book to read. He let the TARDIS stay where it was; a funny object on a London street. No one would question it there. No one would even notice it.
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NEXT TIMEA Castle Deep in the Woods
As the TARDIS arrives in a small village in the past, the Doctor finds himself launched into what seems to be a real-life fairy-tale: castles, monsters, and valiant quests to undertake. And one woman, the harbinger of doom... Episode List: 1. The Magic Box 2. Dinner With Nobody 3. Passing in the Night 4. A Shop For Limbs 5. Material Values 6. The Cloud Beneath The Sea 7. Wish You Were Here 8. A Castle Deep in the Woods 9. In Slumber Repose 10. From Hell 11. Under Ice 12. Waking the Witch 13. The Morning Fog |