𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 ✧ 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 Ⅱ [✓]

A Christmas Carol Pt. 5

"Well, Christmas is for kids, isn't it? I've got some work with my dad now. I'm going to focus on that. Get that cloud belt under control."

"Sorry, we didn't realise we were boring you" {Y/N} mutters.

"Not your fault. Times change."

"Not as much as we'd hoped. Kazran. We'll be needing a new one, anyway. What the hell" the Doctor gives Kazran his half a screwdriver.

"Merry Christmas. And if you ever need us, just activate it. We'll hear you" {Y/N} says.

"I won't need you two."

"What's happened? What are you not telling us? What about Abigail?"

"I know where to find her."

"Yeah" the counter on the cryochamber is down to 000 001. Sardick looks around. His father's portrait is back. Meanwhile, in the past, the Wurlitzer is ready.

"Another Christmas Eve, Kazran. But a very special one. It's complete. Look at it. Sound waves. As simple as that. We can control the clouds, the fog, the fish."

"Why do we want to control the fish?" Kazran asks.

"People are cattle. If you want to control cattle, you need to control their predators. What's the face for? Look what I'm giving you. The sky, and everything beneath it. Only you and I can control this. This planet is ours."

"Excuse me, Father" Kazran returns to his room and takes the screwdriver from his desk drawer. The Doctor and {Y/N} are standing outside the window. Kazran draws the curtains on them and puts the screwdriver back. Time passes and old Sardick takes it out again. Shortly after, the telephone rings. Sardick answers it.

"Yes, what? Oh, Mister President, we've been through this. It's not going to crash on my house, so what's it got to do with me? Yes, I know. four thousand and three. As a very old friend of mine once took a very long time to explain, life isn't fair" a hologram of Amy appears.

"Hello."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"You didn't think this was over, did you? I'm the Ghost of Christmas Present" Amy replies.

"A ghost? Dressed like that?" Amy is replaced by Rory.

"Eyes off the skirt" Amy pushes him out of the way.

"You turned into a Roman."

"Yeah. Yeah, I do that. I also do this."

"Do what? What are you talking about?"

"Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright, round yon virgin mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild. Christ the Saviour is born. Christ the Saviour is born."

"They're holograms. Projections, like me" Amy says.

"Who are they?"

"The people on the ship up there. The ones that you're going to let die tonight."

"Why are they singing?"

"For their lives. Which one's Abigail? The Doctor and {Y/N} told me."

"Did they now?"

"Ah, they don't hold back. You know them."

"How do I? I never met them before tonight. Now I seem to have known them all my life. How? Why?"

"You're the only person who can let that ship land. They were trying to turn you into a nicer person. And they were trying to do it nicely."

"They've changed my past, my whole life."

"Time can be rewritten."

"You tell the Doctor and {Y/N}. Tell them from me, people can't" Sardick walks through the holograms, which vanish, to a particular cryochamber.

"That's Abigail?" Amy asks.

"I would never have known her if the Doctor and {Y/N} hadn't changed the course of my whole life to suit themselves."

"Well, that's good, isn't it?"

"No."

"Why is she still in there? You could let her out any time."

"Oh, yes. Any time at all. Any time I choose."

"Then why don't you?"

"This is what the Doctor and {Y/N} did to me. Abigail was ill when she went into the ice. On the point of death. I suppose the rest of the ice helped her. But she's used up her time. All those Christmas Eves with me. I could release her anytime I want, and she would live a single day. So tell me, Ghost of Christmas Present, how do I choose which day?"

"I'm sorry. I really am. I'm very, very sorry. But you know what? She's got more time left than I have. More than anyone on this ship."

"Good."

"Rory, widen the beam."

*Starliner*

"Status update on engine one."

"How did I get here?" Sardick asks.

"You didn't. It's your turn to be the hologram. Since you're going to let a lot of people die, I thought you might like to see where it's all going to happen" Amy says.

"The singing. What is it? I don't understand."

"It's the Doctor and {Y/N}'s idea. The harmonies resonate in the ice crystals, that's why the fish like it. They thought maybe it would stabilise the ship. But it isn't working. It's not powerful enough" Rory says.

"Why are they still singing, then?"

"Because we haven't told them. Sir, I understand you have a machine that controls this cloud layer. If you can release us from it, we still have time to make a landing. Nobody has to die."

"Everybody has to die."

"Not tonight," Amy says.

"Tonight's as good as any other. How do you choose?"

"Doctor? {Y/N}?" Amy asks.

"Yeah?"

"Are you two hearing this?"

"We can hear.

"They're here? Where are they? Doctor? {Y/N}?"

---

~Bread 🍞