Mummy on the Orient Express

(Open POV)

Orient Express…

There are images of the number 66, an incandescent light bulb fickers, then a traditional horror film mummy is roaring and reaching for someone.

"Start the clock." The Doctor said, nearby.

Restaurant coach…

The numbers count down near the bottom of the screen. A young woman in traditional black and white maids uniform walks down the central aisle of a steam train's restaurant coach. It is the 1920s, and the whistle blows. At 52 seconds, an old woman looks up, then lowers her lorgnette and speaks to the fashionable young lady opposite.

"Is there some sort of fancy dress thing on this evening?" Mrs Pitt asked.

"I don't think so. Why do you ask?" Maisie asked.

"Well, that fellow over there, dressed as a mummy monster thing."

"Who do you mean? I can't see him."

The mummy reaches for Mrs Pitt.

Mrs Pitt summons the head waiter, "You! You! Throw that man out of my dining car. It's disgusting."

"I'm sorry, Madam. Which man?" The waiter asked.

"Which man?! I'll have your job. That man, right there, dressed as a monster." Mrs Pitt said, looking at the mummy.

The head waiter walks away.

"Mama, there isn't anyone there. Are you feeling okay?" Maisie asked.

"Don't you dare lie to me, girl. I won't be made a fool of. Stop it. Stop it. Stop him at once. Right now." Mrs Pitt said, annoyed.

"Mama, there's no one there. You're worrying me. Do you want one of your pills?"

"Oh, no! Get it off! Get it off!" Mrs Pitt yelled.

Zero. The mummy puts its hands Mrs Pitt's head and she goes limp.

Maisie stands up, "Oh! Is there a doctor? Sorry, I need a doctor. Sorry, I don't know. She just, she just stopped."

A man comes over to check on Mrs Pitt as the steam whistle blows. The name of the train - Orient Express - hurtles on through space.

(Jared's POV)

Baggage car…

The Tardis materialises in a space at the back of the car, amidst racks of suitcases, and the Doctor steps out wearing a black suit with a white handkerchief in the breast pocket and a loose bow tie with very long ends, sort of Western style. I am wearing a blue suit, a white buttoned shirt, and a gold bow tie.

"Our train is waiting for us, my Impossible Girl." I said, holding out my hand to Clara who is wearing a fashionable flapper with jaw-length bobbed hair.

"Wonderful." Clara said, happily.

"The baggage car. But thanks for lying. The real wonderful is through here." The Doctor said, while the train's bell rings. Music is coming from nearby. "There were many trains to take the name Orient Express, but only one in space."

Lounge…

Comfortable chairs down the side of the carriage, a bar at one end, and armed men standing guard. The band is playing a slow jazz version of Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. The singer is a young lady called Foxes, so that's what I'll call her instead of just Singer.

"Of course it is." Clara said, grabbing my hand.

"So don't stop me now." Foxes said, singing.

"Completely faithful recreation of the original Orient Express. Except slightly bigger. And in space. Oh, and the rails are actually hyperspace ribbons. But in every other respect, identical. Painstaking attention to detail." The Doctor said.

A man with a bald head, big red beard and steampunk eyepatch barges in between us.

"I'm a rocket ship on my way to Mars…" Foxes said, singing.

"Most of the time." The Doctor said, rubbing his bruised arm.

"On a collision course I am a satellite, I'm out of control. I'm a sex machine ready to reload. Like an atom bomb about to oh, oh, oh…" Foxes said, singing.

"You two are doing it again." The Doctor said, looking between Clara and I.

"What's up?" I asked, squeezing Clara's hand.

"The smiles."

"Yeah, we're smiling." Clara said, sadly.

"It's the sad smiles. It's a smile but you two are sad. It's confusing. It's like two emotions at once. It's like you're both malfunctioning." The Doctor said, looking between Clara and I.

"Sorry."

"Travelling at the speed of light. Wanna make a supersonic woman of you." Foxes said, singing.

"I just thought this would be a good one to…" The Doctor said.

"To end it. Yeah. It is. It's a good choice. A good one to end on." Clara said, and I looked down at the ground.

"Yeah?"

"Yup. It's a good one to end it on." I said, smiling.

"Shall we?" The Doctor asked.

The maid approaches with a tray of champagne flutes. The Doctor offers Clara his arm and he offers me his arm.

"Mmm hmm." Clara said, happily.

"Gimme a call. Don't stop me now. Don't stop me." Foxes said, singing.

An indicator changes from a monocle to a thumbs up with a ting! The onboard computer speaks.

"Ladies and gentlemen. If you would be good enough to look from the windows on the right of the train, you'll be able to see the soaring majesty of the Magellan black hole." Gus said.

"Oh, I remember when this was all planets as far as the eye could see." The Doctor said, looking at the view. "All gone now. Gobbled up by that beast. And there's that smile again. I don't even know how you do that."

"I really thought I hated you, you know?" Clara asked, looking at the Doctor.

"Well, thank God you kept that to yourself. There was this planet, Obsidian. The planet of perpetual darkness."

"I did. I did hate you. In fact, I hated you for weeks."

"Good, fine. Well, I'm glad that we cleared that up. There was also a planet that was made completely of shrubs." The Doctor said.

"Clara, I got over hating the Doctor." I said, still looking down at the floor. "I kinda had extra adventures with the Doctor and his companions."

"Wait. What? When?" Clara asked. "I thought you hated him too."

"I did. But I was so nostalgic."

"Of course you were." Clara said, letting out a sigh. "I went to a concert once. Can't remember who it was. But do you know what the singer said?"

"Frankly, that would be an absolutely astonishing guess if I did know." The Doctor said.

"She said, 'hatred is too strong an emotion to waste on someone that you don't like'."

"Were people really confused? Cos I'm confused. Did everybody leave?"

"Shush. Shut up. Look, what I'm trying to say is, I don't hate you. I could never hate you. But I can't do this any more. Not the way you do it." Clara said, looking at the Doctor.

"Honestly. Same. I can't do this anymore either, Doctor. That's why I started hanging out with Danny Phantom." I said, squeezing Clara's hand. "And this is why I want to hang out with the PowerPuff Girls. I can't deal with you anymore."

"Can I talk about the planets now?" The Doctor asked.

"Yup. You can."

"Thedion Four. Constant acid rain. Had a lovely picnic there once, wearing a gas mask."

"'Are you my mummy'?" I asked, laughing a lot.

"That's a lie." Maisie said.

"I'm sorry?" Clara asked.

"That's a lie, what you said. Thedion Four was destroyed thousands of years ago, so you couldn't have been there."

The chief train guard comes over. He wears a uniform with two medals, lots of gold frogging and has a gun in a holster.

"Miss Pitt, are you sure you wouldn't rather rest in your room?" Quell asked.

"That man's a liar." Maisie said.

"Perhaps you'd allow Mister Carlyle here to escort you back."

Another uniformed guard.

"It'll be all right, miss. Just come with me." Carlyle said, leading Maisie away from us.

"Sorry about that. I suppose it's understandable in the circumstances. I don't believe we've been introduced. Captain Quell." Quell said.

"I'm Clara. This is the Doctor and Jared." Clara said, smiling.

"Ah, another one."

"Sorry? Another what?"

"Well, we've got doctors and professors coming out of our ears on this trip. So, what are you a doctor of?" Quell asked, looking at the Doctor.

"Now, there's a question that's never asked often enough. Let's say intestinal parasites." The Doctor said.

"I'm beginning to think Miss Pitt was right about you."

"What's wrong with her? Did something happen?" Clara asked.

"You mean you really don't know?" Quell asked.

Corridor…

We take our champagne out into the corridor to talk.

"There's a body and there's a mummy. I mean, can you not just get on a train? Did a wizard put a curse on you about mini-breaks?" Clara asked.

"It might be nothing. Old ladies die all the time. It's practically their job description." The Doctor said, scoffing.

"What about the mummy?" I asked, sipping on my champagne.

"Well, seen by no one except her, which suggests that it wasn't there. A dying brain, lack of oxygen, hallucinations. Anyway, people do just die sometimes. She was over a hundred years old." The Doctor said.

"Says the two thousand year old man." Clara said, scoffing.

"You're not wrong, Clara. The Doctor is still older than me." I said, sipping on my champagne.

"Clara, Jared, you actually sound as if you want this to be a thing. Do you?" The Doctor asked, looking between Clara and I.

"No. No, look, fine. You know, if you think that there is nothing to worry about, then that is fine by me." Clara said.

"Are you sure?"

"Ah, yes, I'm sure."

"To our last hurrah." The Doctor said, happily.

"Our last, yeah." Clara said, smiling.

"It is totally our last hurrah!" I said, excitedly.

"I mean, Doctor, it's not like I'm never going to see you and Jared again."

"Isn't it?" The Doctor asked.

"Is it?" Clara asked.

"I thought that's what you and Jared wanted."

"No, what I mean, you're going to come round for dinner or something, aren't you? Do you, do you do that? Do you come round to people's houses for dinner?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I do that?"

"I don't know. I thought you might find it boring." Clara said, sadly.

"Is it boring?" The Doctor asked.

"Nope. It isn't." I said, looking between the Doctor and Clara.

Clara raises her champagne flute, "To the last hurrah."

"The last hurrah." The Doctor said.

"Our last hurrah. Our final adventure together." I said, still looking at the Doctor and Clara.

Clink.

My sleeping compartment…

I am in my room, wearing my hoodie and jeans and making a phone call to Sayaka Miki.

"So, when are you now?" Sayaka asked, her voice over my AirPod Pros.

"The Orient Express. In space." I said, tossing a chocolate chip cookie into my mouth.

"That's awesome."

"How is that awesome? Shouldn't I dump him on the TARDIS?"

"One, you're not dating him. And two, it's not like you're in any danger with the mummy."

"That is true. At least my grief, my trauma, and my resentment outweighs Maisie's."

"I don't know how that isn't any better."

Corridor…

The Doctor hesitates outside my door, nearly knocks, then walks on. Clara and I come out at the same time.

"Hey." Clara said, happily. "Is the Doctor in there?"

"Don't know." I said, knocking on the Doctor's door. "Hello?"

"Doctor, are you awake?" Clara asked, whispering.

(Open POV)

Engineer's carriage…

There are computer screens above a workbench, blueprints on a draughting table. Racks of tools. The Doctor finds a piece of equipment bubbling to itself, and apparently powering up according to the display. He removes the plastic wrapping and scans it with the screwdriver. The Chief Engineer startles him.

"Beautiful bit of kit, isn't it, sir? The Excelsior Life Extender. It's like driving around in a portable hospital." Perkins said, holding a heavy piece of metal.

"Yes, well, it didn't do Mrs Pitt much good, did it?" The Doctor asked.

"Got me there, sir. Certainly got me there. Maybe it malfunctioned." Perkins said, happily.

"Oh, I don't think so. The records show that the machine did everything it could to keep her alive."

"Yeah. And almost drained the battery doing it."

"What do you know?"

"Well, I know that when I find a man fiddling with a chair that someone died in, it's best to play my cards close to my chest."

"Really? Well, I know that when I find a man loitering near a chair that someone died in, I do just the same."

"Perkins. Chief Engineer."

"The Doctor. Nosey Parker."

"Pleased to meet you, Doctor." Perkins said, chuckling.

The Doctor and Perkins shake hands.

"Course, there's a rumour that someone or something else might be responsible." Perkins said.

Corridor…

Clara has got dressed and comes out of her sleeping compartment again. Jared has also got dressed and came out of his sleeping compartment again too. Clara and Jared meets Maisie walking along in her pajamas and holding her right shoe in her hand, and follows her.

"Hello? Are you okay? Hello? Excuse me? Excuse me?" Clara asked, grabbing Jared's hand.

Baggage car…

"Hey. Miss Pit. Are you okay? Need some help?" Jared asked, squeezing Clara's hand.

"My name's Maisie. I'm not mad." Maisie said, frowning.

"Oh, okay. Er, we didn't say you were, but you've had a bad day. I think anybody could do with a little bit of help after a day like today." Clara said.

Maisie addresses the panel next to a heavy door at the end of the baggage car. It is labelled Private Company Property.

"Computer, open the door." Maisie said.

"Call me Gus. I'm afraid this door can only be opened by executive order." Gus said.

The thumbs down icon makes a sad noise.

"You okay?" Jared asked, letting go of Clara's hand.

Maisie cries as she tries pressing buttons on the keypad, "They won't let me see her body. They should let me see her body, shouldn't they?"

"I think so. The body's in there. Don't worry, I can open it." Jared said, walking up to the door and turned to his ghost form to use his electrical powers on the keypad to short it out. "There."

The icon changes to a telescope on a tripod, then the thumbs down, then cannot make up its mind. The door opens.

"Wow. Your ghost powers." Clara said, in awe. "Can't believe they can unlock doors that easily."

Clara and Jared follow Maisie into the room and the door closes behind them.

Lounge…

The Doctor walks up to a man with a thin mustache who is reading a book, and points at him, "What's the most interesting thing about the Foretold?"

"I'm terribly sorry, I don't believe we've met." Moorhouse said.

"You know. The Foretold. Mythical mummy. Legend has it that if you see it, you're a dead man." The Doctor said.

"Yes, I know what it is. You see, I happen to be…"

"Emil Moorhouse, professor of alien mythology. I'm the Doctor. Pleased to meet you. So, the most interesting thing about the Foretold. Go." The Doctor said, sitting down on the other side of Moorhouse's small table.

"Er, well, it would have to be the time limit given before it kills you. I can't think of another myth where it's so specific. How does it go? Er, The number of evil twice over. They that bear the Foretold's stare have sixty six seconds to live."

"No, no, no. Nice try. Very atmospheric. But that's not it. Try again."

"A cynical man might say that you were trying to pump me for information."

"The myth of the Foretold first appeared over five thousand years ago. In some stories, there is a riddle or secret word that is supposed to make it stop. Some characters try to bargain with it, offer riches, confess sins. All to no avail." The Doctor said, opening the silver cigarette case he has taken from his jacket pocket and offers the Professor a jelly baby.

"Well, you certainly know a little mythology."

"I know a lot. Because, from time to time, it turns out to be true."

Galley…

The light flickers, the clock starts ticking, and the chef sees the mummy.

"What is that?" A chef asked.

"What?" Chef 2 asked.

"What is that?"

Lounge…

"But that's the great appeal, isn't it?" Moorhouse asked.

Galley…

"Can't you see?" The chef asked.

Saloon car…

"Earth legends are such dry, dusty affairs, and always fiction. But up here, in the stars…" Moorhouse said.

Galley…

The unfortunate chef tries to use trolleys to stop the mummy from getting to him.

"What are you talking about?" Chef 2 asked.

"Get it away!" The chef yelled.

Saloon car…

"Anything's possible. That's why I chose this field, to be honest. Hoping one day I might meet a real monster." Moorhouse said.

"Isn't that everyone's dream? But you still haven't answered my riddle. What's the most interesting thing about the Foretold?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, you can't run from it, that's for sure. There are accounts of people trying, but it never works. No matter how far you run, it's always right there behind you."

Galley…

"There's nothing there!" Chef 2 said, angrily.

"Can't you see it?" The chef asked.

"Calm down." Chef 3 said, sadly.

The chef grabs a big knife, "Get it away! Get it away!"

"What's wrong with him?" Chef 2 asked.

"Get it away! Get it away!" The chef said, while at 18 seconds, he retreats into the freezer. "Get it away! Get it away!"

"What is going on?" Chef 2 asked.

"Stumpy, open the door." Chef 3 said.

"Yeah, open the door." Chef 2 said.

The mummy is inside the freezer, behind him.

"Get out!" Chef 2 said, worried.

"Argh!" The chef said, terrified.

"He's unhinged!" Chef 2 said, and at 2, 1, the mummy reaches for the chef's head and he screams. "No! Stumpy!"

Saloon car…

"Nope. Even colder." The Doctor said.

"All right, I give up, you tell me." Moorhouse said, annoyed.

"Mrs Pitt, the old woman who died."

"She died of old age. Nothing supernatural."

"No. That's my answer."

"Her death?"

"No. The fact that you were here to witness it." The Doctor said, while there is a commotion behind them. "Excuse me, Professor."

"In which carriage?" Quell asked.

Galley…

The body of the chef is scanned in the freezer as Captain Quell lays down the law to the surviving staff.

"It was a heart attack. And if I hear anyone spreading rumours to the contrary, they'll be getting off at the next station, termination papers in hand. Are we clear?" Quell asked.

The chef is zipped into his white body bag.

Strong room…

Jared is using his ghost powers to try and hack his way into the door. The only light is through the grill over a window.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Maisie asked.

"Yup. I've spent enough time with a friend of mine who has the same powers as me." Jared said, electrical shocks coming out of him.

"Do either of you ever wish bad things on people?" Maisie asked.

"Oh, yeah. All the time. Whoever designed this door, for a start." Clara said, scoffing. "Jared, hurry up."

"Clara, hacking takes time." Jared said, rolling his eyes, electrical shocks still coming out of him. "Maisie. The woman you were with. Was she your mother?"

"No. She wasn't really my mum. She just made me call her that. She was my gran. Do you two know why I wanted to see her body?" Maisie asked.

"Because you loved her very much and were missing her?" Clara asked.

"No." Maisie said, chuckling. "You both obviously never met her. No, I just felt really guilty. Like I'd been picturing her dying for years. Like a daydream. Not really meaning it. At least, I don't think I did. But now, it just feels like I made this happen."

"Ugh. This lock is so futuristic. It's pissing me off." Jared said, abandoning the lock and turning himself back into a human. "Hey. Listen. Whatever happened to your grandmother, she died, okay? You didn't do anything wrong. People that don't understand you, they love to make things difficult. And they love making you feel different things. Maisie, you didn't kill her, I know you didn't. All she did was die of old age."

"Are you sure about that?" Maisie asked.

They look at a large iron maiden or sarcophagus thing standing at the far end of the strong room. It has a large red shiny oval where the head would be and a single small red light.

Corridor…

"I think we need to talk." The Doctor said.

"This matter does not concern the passengers." Quell said.

"I'm not a passenger. I'm your worst nightmare." The Doctor said, handing Quell his psychic paper.

"A mystery shopper. Oh, great." Quell said, annoyed.

"Really? That's your worst? Okay, I'm a mystery shopper. I could do with an extra pillow and I'm very disappointed with your breakfast bar and all of the dying."

Quell's office…

Quell gets two glasses and pours drinks. On the wall is a framed Certificate of Bravery awarded to Capt. Hector Quell by United Galaxy Tours. The time on the clock is 11:24.

"This is not exactly within your job description." Quell said.

"Come on, Captain. Where would we all be if we all followed our job descriptions, hmm? Good question. Glad you asked. In your case, you'd be doing something instead of climbing inside a bottle." The Doctor said, happily.

"I have followed the procedure for accidental death to the letter."

"Yes, I'm sure you have. And I'm sure you do just enough of your job to avoid complaints."

"You don't know anything about me."

"Wounded in battle, honourable discharge. And this is just a guess, but I think you've had the fight knocked out of you. You expected this to be a cushy desk job where you could put your head down until retirement. Well, I'm sorry. As of today, that dream is over." The Doctor said, sadly.

"There is no evidence of any attack or other parties…" Quell said, frowning.

"Yes, let's just sit around and wait for the evidence while the bodies pile up. Or here's a crazy thought. We could do something to stop it. Why am I even talking to you?"

Corridor…

Perkins is waiting outside with rolls of papers, "Er, passenger manifest, plan of the train and a list of stops for the past six months."

"Quick work, Perkins. Maybe too quick." The Doctor said, walking up to Perkins.

"Yes, sir. I'm obviously the mummy. Or perhaps I was already looking into this." Perkins said.

Strong room…

Maisie, Clara, and Jared are sitting on a box or something, their backs against a wall.

"This Doctor. He's your what, exactly?" Maisie asked, looking between Clara and Jared.

"He's not my anything." Clara said, grabbing Jared's hand.

"Oh, you mean you're just friends."

"Clara and I, we're friends with the Doctor. Or we were friends with him." Jared said, sadly.

"Well, that clearly isn't true." Maisie said, smirking.

"It's true. It's definitely true."

"The three of you do seem to be here together." Maisie said, smiling.

"Seriously? We're stuck in this carriage, probably all night, and all we can talk about is some man?" Clara asked.

"Some man?"

"The Doctor's not that kind of man for us." Jared said, letting out a sigh. "Listen. The Doctor, Clara, and I had fun together. We traveled for years and now we're stopping it. This is basically goodbye to the good times we had."

"Were the good times all like this?" Maisie asked.

Clara and Jared laugh a little.

"Yeah. Now that you mention it…" Clara said, still laughing.

Engineer's room…

The Doctor is timing the recorded attack on Mrs Pitt, as recorded by CCTV, while Moorhouse and Perkins look on.

"No! No! Get it out! Argh!" Mrs. Pitt yelled, on screen.

"Sixty six seconds. It fits the myth. Did you see the lights flicker?" The Doctor asked.

"Mmm." Moorhouse said.

"Yeah, the lights went in the kitchen as well just before the chef saw it." Perkins said.

"In all of the accounts, conventional weapons have no effect on the Foretold. It's immortal, unstoppable, unkillable."

"Can we get a new expert?"

The train continues on its way, trailing smoke.

Strong room…

"Oh, he was wrong." Maisie said, laughing.

"Yeah. He was." Jared said, sipping on some taro bubble tea.

"And, and high-handed and, and thoughtless and, and, and arrogant beyond belief."

"Exactly." Clara said, happily.

"And the two of you got on a train with him."

"Jared and I were saying goodbye. You can't end it on a slammed door."

"Yes, you can. Anyone can do it. People do it all the time. Except, of course, when they can't." Maisie said, letting out a sigh. "Life would be so much simpler if you liked the right people. People you're supposed to like. But then, I guess there'd be no fairy tales."

In the Engineer's room, Moorhouse is sleeping in a chair, and Perkins is slumped at his desk. The Doctor is looking through papers when there is a beeping sound and the blinds are raised. It must be morning, train time. He takes the intercom phone off the wall and sonicks it, disconnects its cord from of the wall then calls Clara and Jared.

"Doctor? Something bad happened." Jared said, tossing a pair of AirPod Pros to Clara so she can listen in to the phone call.

"Wake up…" The Doctor said, his voice coming out of the two sets of AirPod Pros.

Engineer's room…

"Sleepy-heads. Time for breakfast. Knowing this train, it'll taste…" The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"…amazing." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of the two sets of AirPod Pros.

"Doctor, please, Jared and I are in trouble…" Clara said, with a set of AirPod Pros in her ears.

"Can't even get that right, huh?"

"Doctor…" Jared said, his set of AirPod Pros in his ears.

Engineer's room…

"Bad food on trains is traditional." The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"Doctor, list…." Jared said, letting out a sigh.

Engineer's room…

"Listen, there's been another mummy murder. So our last hurrah…" The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"Doc…" Clara said, with a set of AirPod Pros in her ears.

"Just became a bit more interesting." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of the two sets of AirPod Pros.

"We're trapped!" Jared said, worried. "There's a ghost shield here and I can't go intangible!"

Engineer's room…

"What? Where are the both of you?" The Doctor asked.

Perkins and Moorhouse wake up as the Doctor dashes out…

Baggage car…

The Doctor hammers on the strong room door, "Clara! Jared!"

Strong room…

"Is that you?" The Doctor asked, nearby.

"Yes. Yes. Hello. Can you hear us?" Clara asked.

Baggage car…

The Doctor tries sonicking the lock and gets a shock, "Ow! Computer, can you open the door, please?"

"Call me Gus. I'm afraid this door can only be opened by executive order." Gus said.

"Oh. Forget it." The Doctor said, trying to scan the door with the screwdriver. It stutters then stops. "Oh. Now the stupid sonic…"

Strong room…

"What is it?" Jared asked, crossing his arms.

"...screwdriver's not working. Just like with Jared's ghost powers." The Doctor said, nearby.

"What? What do you mean, it's not working? Why?" Clara asked.

"I don't know. Some sort of a…"

Baggage car…

"Suppression field, I would guess. And there's a ghost shield up, nullifying Jared's ghost powers. And it has to be a guess because, as I say, the stupid sonic screwdriver and Jared's ghost powers are not working. What are you and Jared even…" The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"…doing in there?" The Doctor asked, nearby.

"Well, we were looking for you…" Clara said, scoffing.

Baggage car…

"Mister Nothing To Worry About." Clara said, nearby.

"What, was I supposed to waken you two up? Drag you out of bed…" The Doctor said, annoyed.

Strong room…

"…because I had a hunch? I thought you both didn't want to do this any more." The Doctor said, nearby.

"Doctor, can we please not do this now? We're not alone here." Jared said, sadly. "There's a sarcophagus."

Baggage car…

"Is it in there?" The Doctor asked.

Strong room…

The light on the front of the sarcophagus changes from red to green, there is the sound of air escaping and it starts to open.

"I think we might just be about to find out. Turns out the sonic is working." Clara said, frowning.

Baggage car…

"Just not on the door we need." Clara said, nearby.

The lights flicker. The clock at the bottom of the screen starts counting down from 66.

"Clara, Jared, it's coming." The Doctor said, working frantically on the lock.

Strong room…

Clara and Jared walk up to the sarcophagus.

"Doctor?" Jared asked, while the sarcophagus lid swings fully open. "Doctor, it's okay. There's no mummy. And the sarcophagus is full of bubble wrap."

With flashing red lights behind it.

Baggage car…

"But the lights?" The Doctor asked.

"Doctor, move away from the door." Quell said, pointing at the Doctor.

Two other armed guards are with Quell, one pointing a gun.

"My friends are inside." The Doctor said.

"Then they're in trouble, too. I spoke to Head Office. There is no mystery shopper. You're not even on the passenger list." Quell said.

"Clara, Jared, I'm going to have to call you back." The Doctor said, ending the phone call.

"Come on."

30 seconds. They handcuff the Doctor.

"You know, I'm going to have to mark you down for this." The Doctor said.

"You are not a mystery shopper. For all I know, you're the one behind the killings." Quell said.

"Oh, come on, Captain. How many people have to die before you stop looking the other way?"

Lounge…

A guard is shooting at something only he can see, "Get back! Stay back!"

His shots break glasses on tables. Nine seconds.

"What do you think you're doing, man?" Quell asked, looking at the guard.

"Please, please! Stop! No…" The guard said, sadly.

"Get up, man. That's an order!"

The mummy holds the guard's head, then he falls back. The doctor in the white coat and Edward VII beard checks for a pulse and shakes his head. Moorhouse gives Quell the guard's gun. He hands it off to another guard.

"It turns out it's three. The amount of people that had to die before I stopped looking the other way." Quell said.

The Doctor is released, "Thank you."

"Same as the others?" Perkins asked, while he appeared suddenly and silently at the Doctor's elbow.

"Excuse me please. Take his feet. Excuse me please." The guard said.

The other guards carry their late colleague away.

"Ladies and gentlemen, could I have a moment of your time, please? There's a monster on this train that can only be seen by those about to die. If you do see it, you will have exactly sixty six seconds left in which to live. But that isn't even the strangest thing. Do you know what is? You. The passengers. Experts in alien biology, mythology, physics. If I was putting together a team to analyse this thing, I'd pick you. And I think somebody has. Someone of immense power and influence has orchestrated this whole trip. Someone who I have no doubt is listening to us right now. So, are you going to step out from behind the curtain and give us our orders?" The Doctor asked.

"The engines. They've stopped." Perkins said.

In a flurry of electronic activity, the 1920s railway carriage decor is replaced by a high-tech laboratory.

"And the facade drops away because what use are a bunch of scientists without a lab?" The Doctor asked.

A large number of people disappear. One of those remaining looks remarkably like Albert Einstein.

"Teleporter?" Perkins asked.

"No. Hard light holograms. They were never really here. Fake passengers to make up the numbers." The Doctor said, smirking.

"That was my best guard." Quell said.

Ting! The thumbs up icon on a monitor is replaced by a monocle.

"Good morning, everyone. Around the room you will find a variety of scientific equipment. Your goal is to ascertain the Foretold's true nature, probe for weaknesses with a view to capture, after which we will reverse engineer its abilities. Isn't this exciting?" Gus asked.

"You said capture, implying that you can't control this thing. And yet somehow you got it on board. How?" The Doctor asked.

"There is an artefact, an ancient scroll. I have highlighted it for your convenience. For reasons currently unknown, the Foretold appears in the vicinity of this artefact."

A small spotlight turns to illuminate the scroll on the door at the end of the car. It has cuneiform writing on it, which is interesting as that is really marks made in moist clay, not painted on papyrus or fabric.

"And kills at regular intervals." The Doctor said.

"Then just maybe we should throw this thing out in the airlock." Quell said, happily.

"No! No! No!"

Quell gets an electric shock when he tries to touch the scroll.

"Looks like they've thought of that." Perkins said.

"What if we say no? Down tools. Refuse to work." Moorhouse said.

"That is your choice, of course. But it would be very upsetting were you all to die at the hands of the Foretold." Gus said.

"So hurry up, before it kills you." Perkins said, frowning.

"But even if they agree to this, how are they supposed to study a creature that they can't even see? We don't even know what the species is." The Doctor said, and the light flickers. "Perkins, start the clock."

"Approximately one point eight metres tall. Actually, seeing it in the flesh isn't nearly as rewarding as I thought it might be." Moorhouse said, while the mummy drags its left foot as it approaches.

"Oh, dear. Hard cheese. What can you see? Details." The Doctor said.

"Yes. Yes, of course, of course. Uh Well, it just looks like er, a man in bandages. I"

"What kind of bandages? Old? New?"

"Old."

"Whole? Ragged?"

"Ragged. Falling off in places. I don't know what you want me to tell you."

"Listen to me! You can see this thing. We can't. Tell us what you can see. Even the smallest detail might help save the next one." The Doctor said, looking at Moorhouse.

"The next one? You mean you can't save me?" Moorhouse asked.

"Well, that is implied, isn't it? Yes, this is probably the end for you. But make it count. Details, please."

"Er, flesh. Some of it is visible…"

"Thirty seconds." Perkins said, looking at his stopwatch.

"Er, leathery. Ancient looking. Peat bog preserved." Moorhouse said.

"Keep talking. Don't waste this chance." The Doctor said, annoyed.

"I want to bargain for my life."

"W-w-w-what?"

"Well, it says, some of the myths say if you, if you find the right word, if you make the right offer, then it lets you go."

"This is not a myth. This is real. Forget your superstitions. Tell us what you can see." The Doctor said.

"This is my life, my death. I'm going to fight for it how I want. Er, I give you…" Moorhouse said, looking at the mummy.

"Ten seconds." Perkins said, looking at his stopwatch.

"My soul. I confess all sins. I give you all my worldly goods. Only, please, please, please. No!"

The mummy holds Moorhouse's head, then he falls.

"Zero." Perkins said, stopping his stopwatch.

"We apologise for any distress you may have just experienced. Grief counselling is available on request. On the bright side, I'm sure you've all collected a lot of data. Well done, everyone!" Gus cheered.

"It's recording every death."

"Of course it is. That's why we're here. To study our own demise. So let's get to work. Come on. Chop, chop." The Doctor said, handing out white lab coats.

Later, the phone rings. The bald man checks his inside pocket.

"Clara Oswald and Jared Shay." The Doctor said.

Strong room…

Clara, Maisie, and Jared are going through some papers they have found in a box.

"Okay. This is what you need to know." Jared said, clutching the strap of his slang back. "The sarcophagus is actually a secure stasis pod. Think of it like a Zero Room."

Laboratory…

"Yes. It's where they want us to put the Foretold if we…" The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"Capture it." The Doctor said, his voice over Jared's iPhone 15 Pro Max.

"Well, that would have been good to know." Clara said, annoyed.

"Sorry." Jared said, sadly. "How are you doing, Spaceman?"

Laboratory…

"Teeny bit busy round here. What else?" The Doctor asked.

"Please terminate your call and return to work." Gus said.

"We have some paperwork. Passenger manifests from…" Clara said, her voice coming out of the phone.

Strong room…

"Other ships. Maisie recognised a couple of the names. These are missing ships." Clara said, looking down at the papers.

"So, we're not the first." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of Jared's iPhone 15 Pro Max.

"Nope. We weren't." Jared said, letting out a sigh.

Laboratory…

"Please terminate your call and return to work." Gus said.

"We've got some progress reports." Clara said, her voice coming out of the phone.

Strong room…

"The Gloriana spent three days getting picked off by the Foretold. All died. Performance marked as poor." Clara said.

Galley…

"Warning. Decompression imminent. Please vacate the area." Gus said.

"No!" Chef 2 yelled.

Secure room…

"The Valiant Heart. Forty two crew, four died." Clara said.

Laboratory…

"Performance, promising." Clara said, her voice coming out of the phone.

"Crap." Jared said, his voice coming out of the phone. "Doctor, Clara. We just lost the kitchen."

"Please terminate the call and return to work." Gus said.

"I think you should do as it says." Quell said.

Because the catering staff and equipment are floating past the window.

"Clara, Jared, I have to go." The Doctor said.

"Right. Talk to you later, Spaceman." Jared said, ending the call with the Doctor. "Good luck."

"I'm sorry. I know that must have been distressing for you. But if you are disobedient again, I will decompress another area containing less valuable passengers." Gus said.

"Less valuable passengers? How does it choose?" The Doctor asked.

"Well, I'm assuming qualifications…" Perkins said.

"No, no, no. Not the computer, the Foretold. How does it choose who to kill? We've assumed it's random. What if it's not? I want full histories on all the victims. Medical, social, personal."

"Well done." Gus said.

"Don't mention it." The Doctor said, smirking.

Later, the Doctor and Perkins are looking at a tablet computer.

"Doesn't seem to be any pattern. Their travel history, interests, health. It's all over the shop. Health?" Perkins asked.

"Health? Are you sure? Mrs Pitt, the first victim. She was over a hundred years old. The frailest passenger on board." The Doctor said.

"Oh but the next to go, the chef, was young and fit. It's random."

"The chef was ill." Quell said, sadly.

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"A rare blood disorder. Not contagious, but we kept it quiet."

"Because he worked with food. The next one, the guard?"

"He wasn't ill as such, but he did have synthetic lungs implanted last year."

"Professor Moorhouse. It seems he was physically fine but suffering from, here we are. Regular panic attacks after a car crash last year." Perkins said.

"It's picking off the weakest first. Sensing the illness somehow. The fake organs, even psychological issues. But this is good news, because it means we can work out who is next. I want the medical records of everybody alive who is still on board. If anyone's had as much as a cold, I want to know about it." The Doctor said.

"You really think it can sense psychological issues?" Quell asked.

"It seems so. Why?"

"When you said I'd lost the stomach for a fight, I wasn't wounded in battle as such, but. My unit was bombed. I was the sole survivor. Not a scratch on me. But post-traumatic stress. Nightmares. Still can't sleep without pills." Quell said, letting out a sigh.

"Which means that you are probably next. Which is good to know." The Doctor said, happily.

"Well, not for me."

"Well, of course not for you, because you're going to die. But I mean for us, from a research point of view."

"You know, for a doctor, your bedside manner leaves…" Quell said.

Lights flicker.

"Well, there's goes our head start. Perkins, start the clock." The Doctor said, as the mummy appears at the far end of the carriage. "What can you see?"

"Almost feels out of focus. Gives me a headache just looking at it." Quell said, drawing his service weapon.

"Oh no, no, no, no. That didn't work before." The Doctor said, annoyed.

"What kind of soldier would I be, dying with bullets in my gun?" Quell asked, shooting a flask.

"Fifty seconds." Perkins said, looking at his stopwatch.

"Someone shut that man up! For the record, it didn't even flinch." Quell said, sadly.

"Where is it now?" The Doctor asked.

"Approximately twenty feet in front of me and closing."

"Forty seconds." Perkins said, looking at his stopwatch.

"Am I close?" The Doctor asked, and the mummy's outstretched fingers coming out of his eyes before the rest of its bandaged hand passes through his head.

"It's passing right through you, like a ghost." Quell said.

Perkins is holding out a scanner and reading his tablet, "It's not a hologram."

"If you move, will it follow?" The Doctor asked.

"Do you want me to move? Because I can certainly do that." Quell said, walking backwards in the train car.

"Keep looking at it, but back off quick as you like."

"It's teleported away. It's behind me." Quell said, turning his back before seeing the mummy again.

"Twenty seconds." Perkins said, looking at his stopwatch.

"I think this is it. Still, suppose it's not a bad way to go. Blood pumping, enemy at the gates and all that. And thank you, Doctor, for waking me up. It's reaching for me. Hands on my head."

"Zero."

"Ah!"

"Teleporter. That means tech. Then sixty six seconds to do what? Sixty six seconds. That seems very, very specific. Too specific for organic. So, what, more tech? What? More? A countdown clock? Something charging?" The Doctor asked, looking at Perkins.

"A man just died in front of us. Can we not just have a moment?" Perkins asked.

"No. No, no, no. We can't do that. We can't mourn. People with guns to their heads, they cannot mourn. We do not have time to mourn. Everybody, what takes sixty six seconds to charge up or to change state? Anyone? Am I surrounded by idiots? If only I could see this thing."

"Don't even joke about that."

"I'm not joking about it. One minute with me and this thing, it would be over!" The Doctor said, angrily.

"You know, Doctor, I can't tell if you're a genius or just incredibly arrogant." Perkins said, letting out a sigh.

"Well, ah, on a good day, I'm both. Ancient tech. This thing has been around for centuries. How? Tech that keeps it alive. Tech that drains energy from the living. Scanner." The Doctor said, taking Perkin's scanner and uses it on Quell's corpse, then throws it back to Perkins. "Deep tissue scan. He's been leached of almost all energy on a cellular level. The heart attack is just a, is just a side effect."

"Oh, it's not just a mummy, it's a vampire. Metaphorically speaking."

"But why take sixty six seconds to drain us? Why not just pounce?"

"Phase. Moving energy out of phase. That takes about a minute, doesn't it?"

"That's why only the victims can see it. It takes them out of phase so it can drain their energy. You, sir, are a genius! This explains everything! Apart from what it is and how it's doing it. Sorry, I jumped the gun there with the 'you're a genius', that explains everything remark."

"Doctor, I think we know the next victim." Perkins said, handing the Doctor his tablet.

"Ah, of course. That makes perfect sense." The Doctor said, his eyes widening.

Strong room…

The Doctor phones Clara and Jared.

"Doctor, I've been having a really bad day." Jared said, leaning against the wall.

"Clara, Jared, it doesn't care." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of Jared's iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Laboratory…

"Your bad day, your bereavement, your little breakdowns whether you're with me or with Team RWBY puts your squarely in its cross hairs. Jared, you're next." The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"Every simulation we've run confirms it." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of Jared's iPhone 15 Pro Max.

"Okay, but, but we're in here and, if we stay in here, that thing can't…" Clara said, happily.

"This thing can teleport."

Laboratory…

"Jared, we need you here. Even the computer agrees." The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"Okay. So you can save me, Doctor. Right? You always do." Jared said, happily.

Laboratory…

"Of course not. Why would you think that? This is another chance…" The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"To observe it in action." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of Jared's iPhone 15 Pro Max.

"As it kills me." Jared said, letting out a sigh.

"Of course, as it kills you."

Laboratory…

"If it happens in there, it'll be a waste…" The Doctor said.

Strong room…

"...so come to us, Jared." The Doctor said, his voice coming out of Jared's iPhone 15 Pro Max.

"No. I don't want to do it, Doctor. I still have a lot of adventures and life left in me." Jared said, clutching the strap of his sling bag.

Laboratory…

"So, you have to deal with it, Jared. I can save you." The Doctor said, sadly. "Do whatever it takes to handle it."

Perkins watches closely as the Doctor throws down the phone and walks away.

(Jared's POV)

Strong room…

"What's he saying?" Maisie asked.

"The Doctor says he can save me." I said, happily. "I get to live, Maisie."

Baggage car…

The strong room door opens and they walk out.

"I knew he could get us out of there. I told you, he's a good man." Maisie said, smiling.

Clara and I try to walk past the door to the corridor, to the Tardis. The air wibbles as it stops us. The strong room door closes with a ting!

"Yes. Yes, he is." Clara said, grabbing my hand.

"I know it goes off of trauma. I know the Doctor can help me with the mummy. So that has to be good. I know it's good." I said, squeezing Clara's hand.

Laboratory…

Gus opens the door and lets Clara, Maisie, and I in. The Doctor runs to shake my hand and I let go of Clara's hand.

"Hey. I'm ready, Doctor." I said, looking down at the floor.

"I know." The Doctor said, looking at me.

"We passed the Tardis on the way here. Thought about getting inside, hiding, pulling the levers and hoping for the best. But we couldn't even get in. There was a forcefield and a ghost shield around it." Clara said, walking up to the Doctor.

The Doctor uses Perkins' scanner on me, "It's probably Gus trying to block our escape route."

"But how does he even know what it is? Cos if he knows what it is, then he knows what you are."

"Well, he has tried to entice me and Jared here before. Free tickets, mysterious summons, he even phoned the Tardis number. Do you know how difficult a number…" The Doctor said, frowning.

"You knew. You knew this was no relaxing break. You knew this was dangerous. And you dragged Jared back into it when he wanted to help Danny Phantom hunt ghosts in Amity Park." Clara said, annoyed.

"I didn't know. I certainly hoped."

"Okay, this. You see, this. This is why I'm leaving you and this is why Jared has been slowly leaving you. This. Because you lied. You lied to me, again. And now you've made me lie. You've made me your accomplice."

"Clara, everything's going to be okay." I said, looking down at the ground. "I promise."

"Jared, I am, I am so sorry." Clara said, sadly.

"The mummy's here." I said, pointing at the mummy as the lights flicker. "It's over there, Raggedy Man."

"Do we start the clock?" Perkins asked.

"Not yet." The Doctor said, standing in front of me and flashes the scanner in my face. "Focus. Focus. Focus! All of that is your grief, your trauma, your resentment. And now…" He puts the scanner to his own head and zaps himself. "It's mine."

The mummy growls and vanishes.

"It's gone." I said, happily. "It's away from my view."

"No. No, it's not. Not for me. Cos now it thinks I'm you." The Doctor said, throwing the scanner onto a table. "Start the clock." He is looking at the mummy. "Hello." It reaches for him. "I'm so pleased to finally see you. I'm the Doctor and I will be your victim this evening. Are you my mummy?" I laughed a lot, knowing the reference the Doctor was trying to make. "But you can't hurt me until my time is up. I think. So are there magic words? Is there a way to stop you in your tracks? Oh, you really hated how Penny Polendina died by Jaune's sword, didn't you? There's something visible under the bandages. By the way, I'm sorry that Vale was wiped out by Salem. She really did have to wipe it out to try and find the Relic of Choice."

"Oh. Seriously?" I asked, clutching the strap of my sling bag.

"Markings like the ones the scroll." The Doctor said, running up to the scroll to look at it. "Oh, and the Kingdom of Atlas falling onto Mantle. Sorry."

"What…" I said, letting out a sigh.

"A tattered piece of cloth attached to a length of wood that you will kill for." The Doctor said.

"Thirty seconds." Perkins said, looking at his stopwatch.

"That doesn't sound like a scroll. That sounds like a flag! And if that sounds like a flag, if this is a flag, that means that you are a soldier, wounded in a forgotten war thousands of years ago. But they've worked on you, haven't they, son? They've filled you full of kit. State of the art phase camouflage, personal teleporter."

"Ten seconds."

"And all that tech inside you, it just won't let you die, will it? It won't let the war end. It just won't let you stop until the war is over. We surrender."

"Zero."

"I can see it." Maisie said, gasping.

The mummy steps back from the Doctor and lowers its arms.

"It's okay. I think we all can." Clara said, happily.

"Do I start the clock?" Perkins asked.

"No." The Doctor said, as the mummy salutes him. "he clock has stopped. You're relieved, soldier."

The mummy disintegrates into a pile of dust and old bandages.

"Phew. He's not the only one." Perkins said.

The Doctor picks up a piece of blue tech with wires from the remains.

"We were fighting that?" Clara asked.

"The person that looked like the mummy was fighting it too." I said, looking up at Clara.

"Listen, Doctor, what we said…"

"Save it. We're not out of the woods yet. Well, Gus, I think we solved your little puzzle. Ancient soldier being driven by malfunctioning tech." The Doctor said, looking up at Gus.

"Thank you so much for your efforts. They are greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, survivors of this exercise are not required." Gus said.

The Doctor has sonicked the tech, and now gets another tool from a different table, "Ah, well, there's a shocker."

People and I clutch our throats, gasping.

"Air will now be removed from the entire train. We hope you have enjoyed your journey on the Orient Express." Gus said.

"I take it you know a way out?" Clara asked.

"My enemy's enemy is my friend. Especially when he has a built in teleporter." The Doctor said, and Perkins and Maisie pass out.

"Great! So use it!" Clara yelled.

"A little more work."

"Doctor!" I said, angrily. "Hurry up!"

"Couple of minutes. Max. I'll give the two of you a shout." The Doctor said, smirking.

Clara hits the floor with an unlady-like thud and I hit the floor with a thud. The Orient Express explodes.

Pebble beach…

Clara and I woke up wrapped in blankets and we're lying on other plaid ones. The Doctor is back in his dark blue suit sans tie and is scratching at the little visible sand with a stick, doing his Gallefreyan maths. The sky is pink.

"Oh hello, again. Sleep well?" The Doctor asked.

"Weren't we just on a train?" Clara asked.

"Yeah. Weren't we on the Orient Express dealing with a mummy?" I asked, looking up at the Doctor.

"Oh, that was ages ago." The Doctor said, happily.

"And? You obviously have more to say, Doctor Disco."

"And what? Doctor Disco, I like that, Jared. Oh, and we got off the train. Oh, well, the teleporter worked eventually. Beamed everyone into the Tardis. No casualties, just a bevy of sleeping beauties. I tried hacking Gus from the Tardis, find out who set this all up. He really didn't like that. Set off some fail-safe thing. Blew up the train." The Doctor said, smirking.

"You blew up the train? Wow." I said, lifting myself off the ground. "That's impressive. Only way to stop a megalomaniac robot."

"Yes. I blew up the train. But we got away. Then I dropped everyone off at the nearest civilised planet, which happened to be here." The Doctor said, while we are looking at a view of a city with tall pointed buildings in the background. "You two seemed happy asleep so I just left you both."

"So you saved everyone." Clara said, smiling.

"No, I just saved you and Jared and I let everyone else suffocate. Ha, ha, ha." The Doctor said, laughing a little.

"Is that just your cover story?" I asked, clutching the strap of my sling bag.

"Yeah, this is just my cover story."

"So, when you lied to Jared, when you made Jared believe that lie…" Clara said, looking at the Doctor.

"I couldn't risk Gus finding out my plan and stopping me." The Doctor said, sadly.

"So you were pretending to be heartless."

"Would you and Jared like to think that about me? Would that make it easier?" The Doctor asked. "Jared, I didn't know if I could save you. I couldn't save Quell, I couldn't save Moorhouse. There was a good chance that you'd die too, Jared. At which point, I would have just moved onto the next, and the next, until I beat it. Sometimes the only choices you have are bad ones. But you still have to choose."

Tardis…

Perkins is looking at the workings under the time rotor, "Er, it's er, quite a vehicle you have here, Doctor. I won't pretend to understand half of it. Having said that, I did notice you've got a couple of drive stacks need replacing."

"Oh, you did, did you?" The Doctor asked.

"Yeah. You should get someone in. And a job like that takes forever." Perkins said, frowning.

"Really? Well, I suppose, whoever I did get in, it might just be easier to have them stay on board for a while. I don't suppose you'd know of anyone?"

"No. Sorry, Doctor, but I don't think I do. That job could er, change a man."

"Yes, it does. Frequently."

The Doctor and Perkins go back up to the main deck where Clara is walking around with her mobile phone in hand, still in her 1920s costume. I am also walking around with my smart phone in my hand, still wearing my suit and tie.

"Well, I won't keep you. Goodbye, Perkins. Good to meet you." The Doctor said.

"You too, Doctor. And er, good luck." Perkins said, shaking the Doctor's hand.

Perkins touches his cap to Clara and I on his way out.

"Do you love it?" Clara asked, looking at the Doctor.

"Love what?" The Doctor asked.

"I know it's scary and difficult, but do you love being the man making the impossible choice?"

"Why would I?"

"Because it's what you do, all day, every day."

"It's my life."

"It doesn't have to be, Doctor. You could always give it up." I said, happily. "You can settle down. Live on Earth in the early 21st century. Visit Clara, Danny, and I from time to time. Hang out. Have dinner."

"Jared's right." Clara said, smiling. "Is it like…"

"Like what?" The Doctor asked.

"An addiction?"

"You can't really tell if something's an addiction till you try and give it up."

"And you never have."

"Let me know how it goes."

Clara's phone rings. She goes up to the gallery to answer it. My iPhone 15 Pro Max rings and I walk down the stairs to the time rotor to answer it.

"Hey, Sea Salt." I said, placing my phone near my ear. "How are things?"

"They're good. Have you decided to leave the Doctor?" Sayaka asked, her voice coming out of my phone's speaker.

"Not yet. But I want to do things the long way around for the remainder of this season."

"The remainder of the…" Sayaka said, her voice coming out of my phone's speaker. "Do you want me to come pick you up?"

"Sure. I was thinking of having extra adventures. Somewhere with sugar, spice, and everything nice."

"Oh. The PowerPuff Girls. That works. I'll pick you off when you land."

"Thanks, Sayaka." I said, ending my call with Sayaka and I walked up the stairs back to the TARDIS console. "Talk to you later, Blue Bell."

"Was that Danny and Sayaka? What did they want?" The Doctor asked.

"Danny's fine with it." Clara said, taking a deep breath and looking at the Doctor and I.

"Sorry, I…"

"Danny. He's fine with the idea of the three of us knocking about. It was his idea that we stop but, he's decided he doesn't mind and neither do I."

"I don't mind it either!" I said, excitedly. "Us traveling together."

"That's good, Jared. Oh, to hell with the last hurrah. Let's keep going." Clara said, happily.

"That's a big change of heart." The Doctor said, smirking.

"Yup. That can happen." I said, smiling. "It's why Sayaka's okay with it."

"Seriously?"

"Look, as long as you get me and Jared home safe and on time, everything is great." Clara said, looking at the Doctor. "We are so sorry. We've had a wobble. It's a big wobble, but it's fine. Forget about it. Now, shut up and give us some planets."

"Well, I'm glad that you said that, because you know that one that's made entirely of shrubs. Are you two sure about this?" The Doctor asked, looking between Clara and I.

"Are you, Doctor? Have you ever been sure?" Clara asked.

"No."

"Then what are you waiting for? Let's go."

"Let's go and save the universe together, Spaceman and my Impossible Girl." I said, and the Doctor, Clara, and I pull the levers together, and the Tardis flies. "I hope this never ends."