Firefly/Doctor Who crossover fic: A Different Kind of Companion (15/20)

[locker_monster]

Title: A Different Kind of Companion (15/20)
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Ten, Rose, Ten/Rose, Mal, Inara, Mal/Inara
Timeline: A week after "Heart of Gold" for Firefly, and just before "Army of Ghosts" for Doctor Who
Summary: After an encounter in the 26th century, Inara and Rose find themselves in unfamiliar settings.
Disclaimer: Firefly and Doctor Who belong to their respective creators and showrunners. Too much awesome would happen if Joss Whedon and Russell T Davies ever worked on something together.
A/N: The biggest thank you goes out to browncoat_2x2 for betaing this story and helping with the minor changes. And beware, technobabble lies within.

Chapter One. Chapter Two. Chapter Three. Chapter Four. Chapter Five. Chapter Six. Chapter Seven. Chapter Eight. Chapter Nine. Chapter Ten. Chapter Eleven. Chapter Twelve. Chapter Thirteen. Chapter Fourteen.

            The Doctor continued to stare at Inara. She thought for a moment she had gone a step too far when suddenly he rushed over and grabbed her by the arms. The expression in his eyes was wild. “Have I told you you’re brilliant? No, more than brilliant. Exceptional. Ingenious!”

            He let go of her and ran over to the screen attached to the console. Inara remained seated as she tried to comprehend what was going on. “Doctor–”

            Words came out in a rush as his hands moved over the controls. “Some things can’t be changed. That’s what you said. Couldn’t be truer. Oh, why didn’t I think of this before!” The Doctor dashed over to the section of the console that was burnt.

            “I assume you’ve come up with a solution?”

            “And it’s a very fine solution. I’m gonna need a hand.” The Doctor motioned her over with one hand as he flicked a switch with another. The top of the section released and lifted up. Pushed open all the way, Inara could see a mess of wires and cables and other things inside she didn’t recognize.

            “So the materialization circuit’s damaged. We could fly to another planet and travel through the Time Vortex but if we can’t materialize then we’re stuck in this time period. So what’s a Time Lord to do?” The Doctor paused and looked to Inara. “Rhetorical question of course. I don’t expect you to know.”

            “Of course.”

            Reaching inside the console, the Doctor pushed around the wires, digging through them like he was digging a hole in the ground. When it seemed like his left hand had seized around something, he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. He handed it to Inara.

            “The solution’s so simple. We reverse the HADS and synch it up with the TARDIS’ dematerialization codes. It’ll take us back to the same spatial area, forgoing the nasty possibility of landing halfway in the ground or wall. Won’t be the nicest of landings but crash landings really do get the hearts pumping.”

            With a yank, the Doctor pulled out a handful of wires. He continued to pull on them until a length of a few feet was free. Then he ran over to the screen and connected the wires into a port just underneath. “Point the sonic screwdriver here,” he said to Inara, indicating to the port with a nod of his head. “Button’s near the top.”

            Inara held up the sonic screwdriver. It didn’t look like a screwdriver, but she did find the button. “But you said something about things not changing.” She pointed the end at the port and the blue light lit up. A few sparks jumped from the port but the Doctor was quick enough and pulled back his hands.

            “Exactly. Spatial coordinates are one thing. Time coordinates are a different beast. Travel through the Time Vortex will be tricky without the circuit so I need to guarantee we’ll land back in exactly the right time. Inputting numbers won’t crack it this time. The TARDIS has to know this time period and the best way to do that is to wire the coordinates directly into the programmer. I’ve done it once before. If you ever need to get to Metebelis Three, the TARDIS is the ship to do it.”

            The Doctor pushed a sequence of buttons and looked expectantly to the screen. When nothing happened, he smashed his fist against the console. Groups of rotating circles appeared, some overlapping.

            “There we go!” He shifted his gaze to Inara. “You’re going to provide the time coordinates.” She frowned, prepared to ask how, but the Doctor kept going. “The second you stepped into the TARDIS, all of your biometric data ceased to exist in your time. Since you were shot inside the TARDIS, I can use that blood sample and we can know exactly when you left and set the time coordinates to just after, give or take a few minutes. Once that’s all in the computer, it can’t be changed. I could key into your data at any time and the TARDIS would always be able to find you.”

            The Doctor smiled brightly. “You, Inara my dear, have just saved the day.”

            She smiled back. “That was certainly easy.”

            “Then you can be back to your time and Serenity and I can pick up Rose and we’ll be off again. Well, maybe not right away. I hear the Mudder’s Milk in Canton is strong enough to hold up against the constitution of a Sontaran. That’s definitely worth checking out wouldn’t you say?”

            “What about the materialization circuit?” asked Inara. “You and Rose will be trapped in this time period.”

            The Doctor took the sonic screwdriver back from Inara. “26^th century? You’re advanced enough.” He walked over to the spot on the ramp where she had fallen and crouched down in front of the blood stain. He touched the blue light of the screwdriver to the stain then rushed back to the console. “We’ll fly to the nearest spare parts dealer and I can piece something together with what’s left over.”

            “Won’t that be difficult?”

            “Nah.” The Doctor inserted the sonic screwdriver into a hole in the console. “I turned a bicycle pump in a Vortex loop.” Noticing the circles on the screen had stopped spinning, the Doctor placed his right hand on a lever. He took Inara’s hand in his left.

            “Here we go.”

            The central column began to move, the component inside pulsing up and down. The simple movement invoked a cry of joy from the Doctor and his hand squeezed around Inara’s. She let out a sigh of relief.

            “We didn’t explode. That’s a good start.”

            “Are we travelling through the Time Vortex now?” Inara glanced around the console room. There was no indication that they were moving.

            “We’re heading forwards in time to 2517. Huh.” The Doctor put on a pair of glasses and squinted at the screen. “Says here the TARDIS landed in 2483 BCE. Five thousand years in the past. Did you go for safe or did you go for safe?” He took off his glasses and patted the console.

            “You make it sound as if the TARDIS has a mind of her own.”

            “Don’t all ships?” the Doctor said with a wide grin.

            “I’m fairly sure Serenity would never fly off to a planet on her own.”

            “Oh, then you’ve never lived until you’ve stepped out a set of doors, not knowing what’s on the other side. It’s an adventure just waiting to happen.” As the light from the central column played over the Doctor’s face, he casually said, “You know, you’re welcome to join Rose and me.”

            Of all the things the Doctor could have said, Inara wasn’t expecting that. Her hands gripped the edge of the console. “That’s quite an offer. I wish I could say yes.”

            The Doctor’s expression remained neutral. “You have commitments on Serenity.”

            “I’ve made some decisions that I have to follow through with. Besides, you already have a companion.”

            The Doctor nodded his head. “That I do.”

            The TARDIS suddenly lurched. Inara was flung to one side and she nearly lost her grip on the console. The Doctor bumped against a railing and barely managed to stay upright. “We’re coming in for the landing.” He stumbled back to the console. “Hold on tight to something.”

Comments

[honorh.livejournal.com]

I love the Ten technobabble! Poor Inara--she's got to be at a bit of a loss.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I'm at a bit of a loss and I wrote it. ;-) But it's fun when the Doctor starts talking science because he totally gets into it and actually makes it sound exciting. Science geek indeed. :-D

[jpgr.livejournal.com]

You promised another installment tonight and this was one final check before turning off the pc for the night. Lucky me!! I am really enjoying this and I can just picture Inara standing somewhat stunned as the Doctor babbles and bounds about the console. Keep 'em coming!

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I actually posted this a little earlier than usual so you've got awesome timing. :-D

I wish I could just say that Inara is stunned because the science is beyond her, but really, I had no idea how to make the exposition exciting. ;-) Though, that is the basic idea beyond the Doctor's companion: they ask the questions so the audience knows what the heck is going on. :-D

[blazoningpen.livejournal.com]

I was actually seeing her stunned more by his actions than his words. You know what he's like when he gets worked up : )

(Oh, and I just realized I'm responding with my other name. No intent to confuse)

[ertheuponerthe.livejournal.com]

Brilliant part. I love how well you are at characterization and I can't wait to read the next bit. :D

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

I think this was the toughest part to write because of all the Who science involved. Though, it helps that the Doctor is running all around the TARDIS. :-D

woo

[kefira.livejournal.com]

I popped on quickly and this was already posted! YAY!

I love how he just babbles on with the technical stuff like Inara understands.

My favorite part:
“You make it sound as if the TARDIS has a mind of her own.”

“Don’t all ships?” the Doctor said with a wide grin.

Ten is oblivious to what she is really saying. Hee. And asking the companion to be one of his companions. Nice!

Re: woo

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Speaking technobabble at a hundred miles a minute is a must-have Doctor trait, no matter the incarnation. :-D And like Rose said in School Reunion to Sarah Jane, "With you, did he do that thing where he'd explain something at like, ninety-miles-per-hour, and you'd go, 'what?' and he'd look at you like you'd just dribbled on your shirt?"

[goldy-dollar.livejournal.com]

Okay, your descriptions *rocked.* Great Ten. No, AWESOME Ten. I could so see him bounding around, pulling out random wires and otherwise acting like a crazy monkey on speed. OH TEN. *adores*

And Inara used the sonic! Heh.

Favourite line:

“Won’t that be difficult?”

“Nah.” The Doctor inserted the sonic screwdriver into a hole in the console. “I turned a bicycle pump in a Vortex loop.”

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Crazy monkey on speed. Hee. I figured if the Doctor was running around all over the place it would give all the talking a bit of energy.

The bicycle pump as a Vortex loop is courtesy of the interactive mini-episode that aired the same day as The Christmas Invasion.

[sunstar77.livejournal.com]

Nah, it can't possibly be that easy.

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

Well, the Doctor makes it all look easy. ;-)

[elflore.livejournal.com]

Awww, c'mon Inara!

She's leaving Serenity anyway, she should *totally* go with the Doctor and Rose!

(And hey, canonically, there's nothing to say Ten & Rose didn't pick up a third for a time, or that Inara didn't take an extra trip and then get dropped off close to the time she left...)

[locker-monster.livejournal.com]

That's the fun part about having a time machine. Time is relative so in theory Inara could have spent years with the Doctor and only a few minutes would pass in the real world.