Bittersweet and strange ~ Doctor who [3]

The Beast Below

Space

Andy, still in his nightgown and robe, is floating outside the open door of the Tardis as the Doctor holds his ankle.

"My name is Andy Pond. When I was seven, I had an imaginary friend. Last night was the night before my wedding..."

"Come on, Pond" the Doctor pulls him back inside.

"...and my imaginary friend came back"

"Now do you believe me?"

"Ok, your box is a spaceship. It's really, really a spaceship. We are in space! Whoo! What are we breathing?"

"I've extended the air shell – we're fine" She sees something below them and squats "Now, that's interesting" they are flying over the spaceship "29th century. Solar flares roast the earth," She walks to the console "And the entire human race packs its bags" She works the controls "And moves out till the weather improves. Whole nations..."

"Doctor?" Andy shouts.

"...migrating to the stars" She keeps on talking, ignoring him.

"Doctor?"

"Isn't that amazing?"

"Doctor!" the Doctor looks up from the console to see Andy isn't there. Andy is outside clinging to the roof of the Tardis.

The Doctor stands in the doorway "Well, come on. I've found us a spaceship"

**********

The Doctor has pulled up the spaceship on the Tardis monitor "This is the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland – all of it, bolted together and floating in the sky. Starship UK. It's Britain, but metal. That's not just a ship – that's an idea. That's a whole country, living and laughing and...shopping" Andy chuckles "Searching the stars for a new home"

"Can we go out and see?" Andy asks her.

"Course we can but first, there's a thing"

"A thing"

"An important thing. In fact, thing one—" She looks through magnifying glass "We are observers only. That's the one rule I've always stuck to in my travels. I never get involved in the affairs of other peoples or planets. Ooh! That's interesting" the screen now shows a girl sitting alone, crying.

"So we're like a wildlife documentary, yeah? Cos if they see a wounded little cub or something, they can't just save it – they've got to keep filming and let it die" Andy watches the girl "That's got to be hard. I don't think I could do that. Don't you find that hard – being all, like, detached and cold?" the Doctor appears on screen with the girl. She runs away "Doctor?"

The Doctor looks into the camera and waves for Andy to join her. With a smile, he runs out of the Tardis.

**********

London Market

Andy looks about and sees an arched glass ceiling through which he can see the stars. The market is a series of stalls and booths very similar to a contemporary marketplace. "I'm in the future. Like hundreds...of years in the future. I've been dead for centuries" Andy looks around in wonder.

"Oh, lovely. You're a cheery one" the Doctor takes him by the arm and walk "Never mind dead, look at this place. Isn't it wrong?"

"What's wrong?"

"Use your eyes, notice everything. What's wrong with this picture?"

"Is it...the bicycles?" Andy points to a rickshaw "Bit unusual on a spaceship, bicycles"