VotD - Plot

Detailed plot of the Christmas Special
Voyage of the Damned

Including video clips and dialog

The Doctor stands in the TARDIS, walking aimlessly about and pressing buttons... quite boring really... that is until a giant spaceship crashes through the wall...

Following on from this, we see the Bridge, where the Captain and other officers and staff pilot the Titanic...

Captain: Now then gentlemen, according to the traditions of the planet below, Christmas is a time of celebration. I think you might be entitled to a drop if rum. Just the one. Off you go.

The other officers leave, all except one young lad who introduces himself as Midshipman Frame. This is his first voyage out as he's just graduated. The captain tells him to leave but he replies by saying that according to the rules, there must alway be 2 people on the flight deck. The captain doesn't argue but seems somewhat grim and unhappy.

We see the Doctor looking at the 'Max Capricorn' screen. He then glances around and shifts the new bow tie that he has put on. Oh yes! The Doctor is back in black tie!

He then sort of wanders around, not really knowing what he's doing but trying to fit in. While he is wandering there are shots of other characters such as Astrid, who is waiting on tables, Rickston Slate, whose talking about his shares down a phone and telling the person on the other line to 'sell sell sell!'

Eventually, the Doctor wanders over to one of the Hosts and starts talking to it, asking questions about where he is, and what the angel thing actually is:

Host: Information: Heavenly Host supplying tourist information
Doctor: Good... so, um, tell me then, cause I'm an idiot. Where are we... from?
Host: Information: The Titanic is on route from the Planet Sto... The purpose of the cruise is to experience primitive cultures.
Doctor: Titanic... um... who thought of the name?
Host: Information: It was chosen as the most famous vessel from the planet Earth
Doctor: Did they tell you why it was famous?
Host: Information: All designations are chosen by Mr Max Capricorn. President of Max-max-ma-max

And the host then goes a bit crazy.
It keeps repeating the word 'max' while jolting its head to one side like a stuck record. The Doctor watches it with a bemused expression and the Steward hurries up saying he'll handle it. He and two others then carry the broken Host away.

On floor 31 is the warehouse where the Hosts are built and maintained. The Steward is complaining that eight of the Hosts have now broken, and he wants to know whats going on. The Technician that is in charge of the Hosts says he can find no fault however, and the Steward leaves, annoyed.

Back in the party the Doctor walks past Astrid and overhears an argument. Rickston is yelling at her as she dropped her tray of drinks.

He tells her to 'watch where you're going' and that his jacket is a 'original Earth antique'. Astrid apologizes while picking up the broken glass and Rickston leaves going on about taking it out of her wage, idiot staff, and no wonder Capricorn cruise liners are going out of business...

The Doctor goes over to help Astrid:

The Doctor: There we go
Astrid: Thank you sir, I can manage
The Doctor: I never said you couldn't, I'm The Doctor by the way
Astrid: Astrid, sir, Astrid Peth
The Doctor: Nice to meet you Astrid, Merry Christmas
Astrid: [looking up surprised as his friendliness] Merry Christmas, sir
The Doctor: Just Doctor, not sir
Astrid: You enjoying the cruise?
The Doctor: Erm .. yeah, I suppose, I don't know, it doesn't quite work, a cruise on your own
Astrid: You're not with anyone?
The Doctor: No, no, just me , just err... used to be but er, no... what about you? Long way from home... planet Sto
Astrid: Doesn't feel that different. I spent three years working at the space port dinar, travel all the way here and I'm still waiting on tables.
[She moves off to collect more glasses, but the Doctor follows her]
The Doctor: No shore leave?
Astrid: We're not allowed, they can afford the insurance. I just wanted to try it. Just once.... I always dreamed off.... it sounds daft.
The Doctor: You dreamed of another sky. New sun... new air, new life. A whole universe teaming with life. Why stand still when there's all that life out there?
[Astrid stares out the window, then shakes her head]
Astrid: So, you... travel a lot?
The Doctor: All the time, just for fun, well that's the plan it never quite works
Astrid: Must be rich though
The Doctor: Haven't got a penny [whispers] Stowaway...
Astrid: [Surprised] Kidding?
The Doctor: Seriously
Astrid: No!
The Doctor: Oh, Yeah!
Astrid: How'd you get on board?
The Doctor: By accident. I've got this sort of... ship, thing, I was just rebuilding it and I left the defenses down, bumped into the Titanic, here I am... Bit of a party I thought why not
Astrid: I should report you
The Doctor: Go on then [Pause]
Astrid: I'll get you a drink. [whispers] on the house.

We are introduced to Morvin and Foon Van Hoff. During the conversation, Morvin explains how his wife won the tickets on a phone in game show... they and the Doctor quickly make friends...

After introducing themselves, there is a nice moment when they discuss the strange Earth food of 'buffalo wings' and how they must have a lot of them to be able to fly... An announcement sounds, stating that anyone in the group 'Red Six Seven' is now aloud to go and explore the planet below.

Foon and Morvin get up and ask the Doctor if he is in the same group. The Doctor says he might as well be and gets up to follow them.

Morvin: Come on then. We're going to Earth!

Back to the Bridge, Midshipman Frame heres a bleeping noise and goes to see what the problem is. He notes that there seems to be a power diversion to deck 31 for some reason. The Captain says that it's nothing to worry about. Frame also notes that theres a meter shower nearby. The Captain says that its nothing to worry about....

Foon, Morvin and the Doctor all head towards a man who is holding a red card that says '6-7' on it. On the way, the Doctor grabs Astrid saying he has a treat for her, and he uses his psychic paper to get him and Astrid into the group. They're all given teleportation bracelets by the man, Mr Copper, who then explains he is their guide...

Mr Copper: I shall be taking you to Old London town in the country of UK, ruled over by good King Wenceleslass. Now, human beings worship the great god Santa, a creature with fearsome claws, and his wife Mary. And every Christmas eve, the people of UK go to war with the country of Turkey. They then eat the Turkey people for Christmas dinner... like savages.

After teleporting to the Earth below, Mr Copper hands out some more advise and info on the dreaded human race...

Mr Copper: I have some Earth currency if you want to buy and trinkets... uh, stockings perhaps, or the local delecasy... beef. But don't go wandering off, its dangerous. Any day they start boxing.

Heeding Mr Coppers wise words, everyone else wanders off to have a look about.
Doctor: There's something wrong. It should be full... where is everybody?
Astrid: But it's beautiful!
Doctor: [surprised] Really? Do you think so?... its just a street. The pyramids are beautiful... New Zealand...
Astrid: Its a different planet! I'm standing on a different planet! There's like... concrete! and shops! Alien shops! Real, alien shops! Look you can see the stars! And it smells! It stinks! This is amazing. Thank you!
[She hugs him]
Doctor: Yeah? Come on then, lets have a look.

They go off and find a newspaper seller, Wilfred Mott. The Doctor asks where everybody has gone and Wilf answers that they've all run off scared.... Think about what's happened for the last two Christmasses! Giant spaceships and death stars! Despite this, he's definitely staying, but he doesn't seem to happy about 'them up there', a.k.a the aliens.

There are always faulty electronics, aren't there...
The Steward from earlier rushes over, to aid Mr Copper and explain what is going on:

Steward: Apologies, Ladies and Gentlemen and Banakafallata, but we seem to have suffered a power fluctuation.... If you'd like to return to the festivities and on behalf of Max Capricorn cruise liners... free drinks will be provided.

Astrid, who had successfully hidden from the Steward, goes back to work and whispers to the Doctor as she goes 'That was the best... the best!'

Back on the flight deck, Midshipman Frame sees that the meteors he noticed earlier are changing direction and heading towards the ship, although worried he realizes that they can just raise the shield levels of the ship...
Captain: As you were Midshipman.
Frame: Sir?... [he looks at the screen] you're magnetizing the hull, Sir. Its... drawing the meteors in... I take it thats deliberate? Bit of a light show for the guests...?
[The Captain looks up slowly... gravely]
Captain: Something like that

There is a nice image of the party and all the guests having a good time... as well as several shots of Astrid and the Doctor glancing at each other and smiling, Banakafalatta dancing, Foon and Morvin eating and Rickston gambling. And a shot of the Officer glancing at a Host, looking slightly worried.

The Doctor catches sight of another screen with Max's face on it saying the slogan again '... and I should know because... my name is Max!' and goes off to have a snoop about. He puts on his glasses and begins fiddling with the wiring of the screen.

He changes the setting so that he can see what the people on the Bridge can see... The screen flashes 'Shields off-line!' at him and the Doctor looks a tad worried. He glances out a nearby window and sees the meteors heading towards the ship and now he looks really worried.

Frame: But he's right Sir. The shields have been taken off-line.
[Frame moves towards the console]
Captain: Step away from there
Frame: But we have to re-energize them
Captain: I said step away, Midshipman!
[Fame looks up to see the Captain pointing a gun at him]

Back at the party the Doctor is trying to talk sense to the officers as they escort him out of the hall, but they're not listening, and the meteors are coming ever closer...

Captain: [Still pointing the gun] They promised me old men.
Frame: [panicked] I'm sorry, Sir?
Captain: On the crew. Sea dogs... men who had had their time... not boys

After being told to look out of the windows, Rickston looks confused, and wanders off towards them. Astrid, Morvin, Foon and Banakafallatta all follow the Doctor out of the room, trying to persuade the officers to let him go. In the lobby they run in to Mr Copper, who also joins in, trying to back up the Doctor's innocence.

In the hall, Rickston looks out the window and notices the meteors heading towards him. A tiny rock no bigger than a tennis ball smashes through the glass and lands at his feet, still smoking. He glances up at the meteors again as a computer voice says 'oxygen membrane holding'. Being very confused, he turns to a nearby Host.

Rickston: You there. Has anyone checked the external shielding?
Host: Information: You are all going to die

The Captain takes the wheel in his hands as Midshipman Frame lies on the floor, a bloody hand clutched to his side, and looks up at him. The scanner shows that the meteors are coming closer.

Rickston skids round a corner and asks where the Chief Steward is. After being pointed in the right direction, he hurries off, shortly joining the Doctor (who is still being manhandled away) and everyone else who is following him.

Frame looks up, hurt and confused:
Frame: You're going to kill us!
Captain: I'm dying already... six months... and they offered me so much money... for my family.

At the last moment, Rickston skids around the corner and shouts at the Steward and officers that are holding the Doctor
Rickston: Oy, Steward! I'm telling you the shields are down!
Doctor: Listen to him! Listen to him!

We are left with the part of survivors who weren't in the party room when the meteors hit, so we've got: The Doctor, Astrid, Foon, Morvin, Rickston, Mr Copper, Bankafallata, and the Steward.

The others begin to get up, and the Officer tries to take control of the situation:
Steward: I'd like to apologize on behalf of Max Capricorn cruise liners... we appear to have had a small collision.
Morvin: Small!
[Everyone starts yelling at him]
Steward: If I could have silence please...
[Everyone continues to yell]
Steward: Quiet! [They fall silent] Thank you... I-I'm sure Max Capricorn cruse liners will be able to reimburse you for any inconvenience. B-b-but first I must point out that we're... very much alive. After all its a fine a sturdy ship... If you could all stay here, while I... a-assatain the.. exact nature of the... the situation

While he has been talking, both Astrid and the Doctor have gone over to help Mr Copper who is still sitting on the floor with a cut on his head. As the Steward moves away to 'assatain the exact nature of the situation', Mr Copper tells them that he is fine.

The Doctor looks up, and sees the Steward reach out to open a door.
The Doctor: Don't open it!

The Doctor begins calling out to the others, making sure that each of them is okay.

Doctor: ... and you, what was your name?
Rickston: Rickston Slade
Doctor: You alright?
Rickston: Yeah, no thanks to that idiot
Astrid: [turning to look at him in horror] The Steward just died!
Rickston: Well then he's a dead idiot

The Doctor tells them to stay where they are, and goes to poke his head around the corner of the corridor and Astrid follows him asking whats going on. The Doctor explains that he didn't think it was an accident... both he and Astrid stare out of a hole in the wall at the floating debris in space, the Steward's body among them.

Astrid: How many dead?
Doctor: We're alive. Just focus on that.
[Astrid stares off into space, looking terrified]
Doctor: I will get you out of this Astrid, I promise. Look at me.... I promise.
[Astrid nods]
Doctor: Good. Now! If we can get to reception, I've got a spaceship on board we can...
[he trails off as he looks back out of the hole]
Doctor: Oh...
Astrid: What is it, what's wrong?
Doctor: There's my ship over there.
Astrid: Where?
Doctor: There that box...

We see the TARDIS floating in space and the Doctor goes on to explain how if its left unpiloted, it will lock on to the nearest centre of gravity: namely the Earth. True to his word, the TARDIS spins away towards the planet below.

The Doctor: [talking down a telecom] deck 22 to the bridge...deck 22 to the bridge, is there anyone there?

Then we see Midshipman Frame! He survived! But he's barely standing, and is moving through the wreckage clutching at his stomach. He replies to the Doctor though telling him that they have air, but the ship is failing, and the Captain is dead.

Frame: He did it! The Captain... he lowered the shields and there was nothing I could do and -
Doctor: All right, all right, just tell me your name
Frame: Midshipman Frame
Doctor: Nice to meet you... whats the state of the engines?
Frame: Dunno... um...
[He looks at another screen thats to far away to see properly and frowns, taking a deep breath]
Frame: Hold on...
[He lurches his body over to the screen, crying out in pain from his stomach wound. The Doctor looks concerned]
Doctor: Have you been injured?
Frame: [catching his breath] I'm all right... [he looks at the data] Oh my god, they're cycling down
Doctor: Thats the Nuclear Storm drive, yes?
Frame: Yeah
Doctor: And if they go, we loose orbit
Frame: The planet...
Doctor: Oh yes. If we hit the planet the the Nuclear Storm explodes and wipes out life on Earth...

We see the Titanic begin to slowly turn as its arcs through the air towards Earth.
The Doctor tells Frame to fire up the engine field and feed it back into the core to try and maintain the engine power until he gets to the bridge. The others begin talking, realizing that they are going to die and becoming panicked because of it. The Doctor shuts them up:

So the little surviving crew go off together to try and get to Midshipman Frame.
The Doctor pushes open a door, dislocating a bit of scaffolding as he squeezes through and the others follow behind. Looking, up they see that they are at the bottom of a small winding staircase thats blocked with more debris.

As snapped wiring hangs down and sparks, the Doctor tells the others to be careful and to follow him as he begins to climb up the stairs and pulling away metal pipes and girders.

Mr Copper: Rather ironic, but this is very much in the spirit of Christmas. Its a festival of violence. They say that human beings only survive depending on weather they've been good or bad, its barbaric!
Doctor: Actually, thats not true... Christmas is a time of peace and... and thanksgiving and... what am I on about? My Christmases are always like this!

He pulls away a lump of metal and finds a broken Host. That means they've got the 'strength of ten' and something to clear away the rest of the rubble! Foon and Morvin offer to fix it since they both work with robots back on Sto, and the others make their way up the stairs. Unfortunately they reach a pile of rubble.

Astrid reckons she can get through the gap as well since she's small enough. Rickston questions how are 'Mr and Mrs fatso going to get through that?' and the others start trying to make the gap bigger for them.

Morvin and Foon are still at the bottom of the stairs, trying to fix the Host. Foon seems really down and Morvin thinks its because of Rickston's remark, but it isn't. Foon tells Morvin its all her fault and that she didn't just win the tickets by chance and luck, she actually phoned in 5,000 times and wasted 5,000 credits before she won...

Morvin: 5,000 credits?... You spent 5,000 credits?!
Foon: Don't hate me!
[Morvin looks away... and then starts laughing]
Foon: Whats so funny?
Morvin: 5,000 credits! 5,000! [he laughs again]
Foon: We'll never pay that off!
Morvin: I know! We'll have to work 20 years you mad bloody woman!
Foon: You're not cross?
Morvin: Well does it matter?! Look at us!... You drive me barmy... I don't half love you.

They have a tender kiss, as well as an Eskimo kiss! The Doctor, and others shifting the rubble, hear the sounds of Morvin and Foon laughing echo up the staircase, Rickston asks 'what happened? Did they find a doughnut?' (bastard)

From her side Astrid begins also shifting the rubble but as she turns, she sees Banakafallata lying on the floor. She goes to him and asks whats wrong and he tells her he is ashamed before revealing that he was in an accident ages ago and because of it, is now a cyborg.

Astrid sets him on recharge and tells him that its different now, that cyborgs are getting equal rights back on Sto and can even marry now.

Bana: Marry you?
Astrid: Well... you'd have to buy me a drink first.
Doctor: [from below] Whats going on up there!?
Astrid: I think Banakafallata and I just got engaged!

Astrid promises not to tell anyone Banakafallata's secret.

Midshipman Frame gets signaled from another group of survivors who are in Kitchen 5, they tell him there are six of them that are still alive. Frame changes the ships scanners to look internally and picks up their life signs. The group in Kitchen 5 tell frame that they are trapped, but just as they say this, the door to the Kitchen bangs open and six Hosts appear. The kitchen staff are releved at first... but the Hosts grab their halos, and kill the six survivors.

Frame: Doctor, I've got life signs on the ship but they're going out one by one
Doctor: What is it? Are they loosing air?
Frame: No... they said Host... its something to do with the Hosts...

The group make their way into a new room... and Foon catches sight of a trolley full of food. While the others sit down and rest, the Doctor contacts Midshipman Frame again to check that he's okay. He's fine, and the Doctor begins wondering why they have been programmed to kill, but Frame tells him there's a bigger problem.

Frame: I had to use a maximum deadlock on the door, which means... no one can get in. I'm sealed off. Even if you can fix the Titanic, you can't get to the bridge
Doctor: Yeah, right, fine, one problem at a time. What is on deck 31?
Frame: Uh... thats down below, its just... nothing. Its just the Host storage deck, thats where we keep the robots.
[The Doctor looks at the plan of the ship and of deck 31]
Doctor: Hang on, whats that? Do you see that panel...black? Its registering... nothing... no power, no heat, no light
Frame: Never seen it before
Doctor: 100% shielded... wonder whats down there...

Astrid brings over some food for the Doctor and they sit down and have a nice chat:

Astrid: So, you look good for 903
The Doctor: You should see me in the morning
Astrid: Okay
[The Doctor looks at Astrid confused, and she seems to realize what she has said and looks away]

As the Doctor eats, Mr Copper comes over to join them and the Doctor asks again about his degree in Earthanomics. It is revealed that Mr Coppers degree isn't a real one, meaning he lied to the company to get the job, and if he's found out he will spend 10 years in jail: 'well I'm an old man... I won't survive ten years'. He talks about how he wasted his life on Sto and wanted something more...

Mr Copper: And Earth sounded so exotic
Doctor: [He smiles] Yeah, I suppose it is, yeah
Astrid: How come you know so much about it?
Doctor: I was sort of... um... a few years ago, I was sort of made... well, sort of... homeless, and, um... there was the Earth

There is a sudden banging from the closed door, the Hosts are drawing near again. The group quickly gather themselves up, and head off in the opposite direction.

The Doctor leads the way down a corridor and sonic screwdrivers a door open, on the other side is a giant room and a giant chasm. Far below at the bottom of the pit, all that can be seen is the raging fire of the engines. The only way across this giant chasm is over a thin bridge thats been created by falling debree, but the group cant retreat... not with the Hosts hot on their tails.

Morvin says that the bridge will never take his and Foon's weight and as he moves towards the edge of the chasm to look down at the engine fires below and the ground suddenly collapses beneath him. He falls.

The Doctor and Foon rush to kneel at the edge and everyone else stands behind, horrified. Foon calls out Morvin's name and demands that the Doctor bring him back, saying that he promised they would be safe. The Doctor can do nothing but try to comfort her and apologize.

Astrid tries to comfort Foon, who is in denial, saying that maybe Morvin landed on a ledge or there was 'a gravity curtain down there and he's just unconscious...' Astrid tells her that Morvin is gone and Foon breaks down into tears wondering what she's going to do without him.

Rickston makes it across the bridge and jumps up and down, a tad happy with himself. There's another lurch from the engines and a loud thudding from the sealed doors. Becoming panicked, the Doctor orders Banakafallata across the chasm, followed by Astrid and the Mr Copper. He then goes to Foon and tries to get her to move

Doctor: Foon, you've gotta get across right now.
Foon: [tear stained] But I'll fall! What am I gonna do without him?!
Rickston: [From the other side of the chasm] Doctor! The doors locked!
Doctor: Listen... what would he want, ey?
Foon: He don't want nothing! He's dead!
[She begins sobbing again and the Doctor hugs her to him]
Rickston: Doctor! I can't open the door! We need the whirly key thing of yours!
Doctor: I can't leave her!
Rickston: She'll get us all killed if we can't get out!
[The Doctor looks torn. He glances at everyone crossing the chasm then back at Rickston before turning back to Foon]
Doctor: Mrs Van Hoff, I'm coming back for you, all right?

Doctor: Electromagnetic pulse took out the robotics... Oh! Banakafallatta that was brilliant!

But in response Banakafallatta collapses onto the bridge, his cyborg body emitting alarming beeping noises... Astrid rushes over to him and says that he's used all his power in order to stop the Hosts... the wee spiky one looks up at her:

Bana: Did good?
Astrid: You saved our lives
Bana: Banakafallatta happy.
Astrid: But we can recharge you! Get you to a power point and just plug you in!
Bana: To late.
Astrid: No but... you haven't bought me that drink, remember?
[Bana smiles]
Bana: Pretty girl
[He then closes his eyes]

The Doctor, Astrid look down at him, solemn.
Mr Copper reached towards him a takes a metal cylinder from his Cyborg body. Despite Astrid's protests, Mr Copper explains that its the electromagnetic pulse transmitter and its the only thing that can stop the Hosts... as long as they can recharge it somewhere.

Rickston: Try telling him that!

He points behind the Doctor and they all turn to see one of the Hosts pulling itself upright...

The Doctor, full of steely determination, slams through a door and the group appear in another corridor. The Doctor then begins giving out orders, telling them all to work their way to Reception 1.

Hey says once they get there, Mr Copper is ordered to try and send out an SOS. The Doctor then gives Rickston his sonic screwdriver, telling him its preset and he just needs to point it at doors, and puts Astrid in charge of the EMP. He also gives a medical box to Mr Copper, and tells Astrid to follow him so that they can charge up the EMP.

Astrid: You're talking as if you're not coming with us
Doctor: Theres something down on deck 31 and I'm going to find out what it is
Astrid: What if you meet a Host?
Doctor: Well... I dunno, I'll just... have some fun
Astrid: Sounds like you do this kind of things all the time
Doctor: Not my choice! All I do is travel. Thats all I am, just a traveler. Imagine it.. no taste, no bills, no boss... just the open sky
[He gives her a deep look]
Astrid: I'm sort of... uh... unemployed now. I was think that blue box is kinda small, but I could squeeze in it... like a stowaway
Doctor: Its not always safe
Astrid: So you need someone to take care of you. I've got no one back on Sto, no family, just me.... what do you think? Can I come with you?
[pause]
Doctor: Yeah I'd like that

The whole ship suddenly lurches and the Doctor stands to talk into the telecom asking after Frame. He replies saying that the engines have gone into their final faze and there's nothing he can do. They're into their final 8 minutes. The Doctor consoles him saying 'don't worry I'll get there' and despite Frame shouting that the bridge is sealed off, the Doctor reassures him that he will get there somehow.

The EMP makes a beeping noise telling the Doctor that its fully charged. He and Astrid go back to join the others and after telling Mr Copper to look after Astrid, Astrid to look after Mr Copper, and Rickston to look after himself, the Doctor prepares to leave.

So the Doctor leaves Mr Copper, Astrid and Rickston to make their way to Reception 1. With the Sonic Screwdriver, Rickston opens the doors, and when he runs into a room full of Hosts, he cowers in the corner and yells as Astrid to use the EMP. She does so, and the Hosts are defeated. The three have a celebratory moment of jumping in the air and hugging.

The Doctor, however, retraces his footsteps back along the bridge and down the stairs, until he can find a way down to floor 31...

Astrid, Mr Copper and Rickston all arrive in Reception 1 and, after taking out a few more Hosts, proceed to seal the doors and make the room more secure. Astrid goes to the telecom and tries to send an SOS, but it isn't working. After punching it in despair, she glances sideways and notices the teleportation bracelets.

Making a decision, she calls up to the Bridge and asks Frame to divert power to the teleportation systems. Frame refuses saying that he using everything he's got to keep the engines going.

Astrid: Its just one trip! I need to get to deck 31!
Frame: And I'm telling you: no
Astrid: [taking a deep breath] Mr Frame... the is for the Doctor... he gone down there, on his own, and I... I can't just leave him! He's done everything he can to save us, and its time we did something to help him...
Frame: [shakes his head] Giving you power...

Astrid grabs a teleport bracelet and tells Mr Copper that she's going to find the Doctor. Mr Copper doesn't argue, but simply says 'good luck' as he watches her teleport away.

The Doctor is taken by the Hosts to floor 31 and lead into the middle of the storage bay. Above him is nothing but a giant open space. He asks where the 'ultimate authority' is and a door behind him glides open.

The Doctor comments on how it is an impact chamber, "indestructible, you can survive anything in there... sit through a supernova... or a ship wreck"... a wheeled devise begins slowly emerging from the chamber... "And there's only one man on board who would have the power and the money to hide behind those..."

Max talks about how he has run the company for 176 years, and it has taken it toll - explaining why he is most made of machinery and only his human head remains. He has had to hide away and run the company by means of a hologram.

He asks for a situation report and is told by a Host that the Titanic is still in orbit around the Earth. Max is confused and confides that they should have crashed by now. He moves his machine over to the edge of the platform and looks down at the ships engines.

Max: The engines are still running! They should have stopped!
Doctor: When they do, the Earth gets roasted, I don't understand. What's the Earth got to do with it?
[Max gives him a snide look]
Max: This interview is terminated!
Doctor: No, no no no! Hold on, hold on! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!
[He rushes round to face Max again. Astrid appears in the background, trying not to be seen]
Doctor: I can work it out! Its like a task... I'm your apprentice. Just watch me. So... Business is failing and you wreck the ship, that makes things even worse. Oh yes! no.... yes. Your business isn't failing, its failed. Past tense.
Max: My own board voted me out. Stabbed me in the back!
Doctor: If you had a back... so, you scuppered a ship, wipe out any survivors just in case anyone's rumbled you, and the board find their shares halved in value... Oh! But thats not enough...
[Max shakes his head]
Doctor: No... cause if a Max Capricorn ship hits the Earth and destroys an entire planet: Outrage back home! Scandal! The business is wiped out...
Max: And... the whole board thrown in jail for mass murder!
Doctor: While you sit there safe inside the impact chamber
Max: I have men, waiting to retrieve me from the ruins, and enough off world accounts to retire me to the beaches of Penhaxico 2, where the ladies, so I'm told, are very fond of... metal.

So that was Max's plan, crashing the Titanic to get his revenge and a nice retirement package all in one go. Obviously, the Doctor's not to pleased about this but before he can do anything, he is grabbed by the Hosts and Max orders them to kill him.

But Astrid is still on the scene... and she's not about to let things go that easily.

Much to the Doctor's dismay, Astrid makes the ultimate sacrifice in driving her forklift into the side of Max's machine and causing them both to disappear over the edge of the platform, and into the engines below. The Doctor pulls himself away from the Hosts and rushes to the edge to watch Astrid fall, helpless.

The Titanic engines have failed and, as Midshipman Frame clings onto the wheel, and Rickston and Mr Copper cower in the Reception room, the Doctor slowly walks through the corridors of the ship, sparks and fire raining down around him.

He stops in the middle of the open space on floor 31 and opens his arms in a accepting and welcoming gesture, as though he is resining himself to his fate. He then clicks his fingers. Two Hosts appear behind him and grip each arm before suddenly taking off and carrying the Doctor upwards through the floors of the Titanic.

As they fly, both the Hosts raise their hands upwards and clinch them into fists before punching through the ceiling of the room and appearing through the floor of the Bridge, much to Midshipman Frame's surprise.

The Doctor rushes to the controls of the ship as Frame picks himself up.

Frame: But the Hosts...!
Doctor: Controller dead, they go to the next highest figure of authority. And thats me.
Frame: There's nothing we can do... there's no power, the ships gonna fall!
Computer: Titanic falling

Of course the Doctor manages to save the day! That's why we love him!

After steering the Titanic away from Earth, and narrowly missing Buckingham Palace and the Queen, the Doctor relaxes and goes to sit by Frame's side. He explains that he used the heat of re-entry to fire up a secondary storm drive...

The Doctor: Unsinkable. Thats me.

Frame is almost giddy by the fact that they made it, but the Doctor is more solemn, thinking of all the people that he lost. As he sits there, an idea suddenly hits him and he jumps up yelling 'teleport!' As he pulls a lever and unlocks the door, he turns to Frame and yells, 'She was wearing a teleport bracelet!' before running off.

He sprints into Reception 1 and calls to Rickston to throw him his Sonic Screwdriver. Frame appears behind him, as Rickston throws the screwdriver. The Doctor breathlessly asks Mr Copper if the teleport bracelets have emergency settings and Mr Copper replies that he thinks they should have.

Doctor: Mr Copper she fell... whats the emergency code?
Mr Copper: Oh... let me see
[He and the Doctor begin fiddling with the teleport centre]
Frame: What the hell are you doing?
Doctor: We can bring her back!
Mr Copper: If a passenger has an accident on shore leave and they're still wearing their teleport, their molecules are automatically suspended and held in stasis, so if we could just trigger the shift...
Doctor: There!

The Doctor pulls on a lever and spins around

Like before, the Doctor is unable to help those he wishes he could. Because the teleportation centre was broken, he couldn't bring Astrid fully back and was resigned to letting her half restored molecules fly free into space...

The Titanic continues to float around Earth, now held in orbit as the engines have stabilized, and Frame tells the others that a rescue ship should be along in ten minutes or so. The Doctor and Mr Copper stand next to each other, and as Mr Copper asks if the police will want to talk to everyone, the Doctor says nothing.

Frame replies that he thinks that the police probably will want to talk to everyone, and that they've dug up all of Max Capricorn's old records as well.

Mr Copper sidles along to the Doctor and murmurs to him that 'I think one or two inconvenient truths might come to light' meaning his fraud of his degree in Earthanomics and his lying to the company. But he says its his own fault, and decides that ten years in jail is better than dying.

The Doctor does not answer, but stares stonily ahead. Rickston approaches him, tears in his eyes, and proceeds to thank the Doctor for saving his life before giving him a hug. The Doctor says nothing, still blank faced as Rickston then begins to talk about his shares and the fact that because he transferred them all, he is now rich (so still a bastard at the end of it all)

Since the Doctor and Mr Copper teleport down to Earth, it means that the old man will not be prosecuted for his harmless law breaking and he has a new life ahead of him.

He and the Doctor walk back to the TARDIS, which is sitting on a cliff side, completely unscathed. Mr Copper is bombarding the Doctor with questions about Earth such as the location of GreatBritain, Great France and Great Germany.

The Doctor: Just, just France and Germany... only Britain's great.
Mr Copper: Do you know between you and me, I don't even think this snow is real. I think its dust from the Titanic's salvage entering the atmosphere.
The Doctor: [Despondently] Yeah... One of these days there might be snow for real

Mr Copper asks if the Doctor will be leaving soon, and then asks about himself. The Doctor gives him a hard look and tells him that he travels alone, 'Its best that way'. Mr Copper seems disheartened and asks what he is supposed to do.

The Doctor asks to see his credit card that he used for the shore leave down to Earth. Mr Copper says how he put a million Earth pounds on it which he thought would be 'enough for trinkets'. The Doctor explains how he is now very, very rich and Mr Copper seems thrilled by the idea that he can buy a house on Earth.

The Doctor warns him to be careful and not to go interfering, Mr Copper promises he wont and gives the Doctor a heartfelt hug before wandering off and mumbling something about chairs and kitchens.

With Astrid living her dream and traveling the open skies, the Doctor dematerializes in his TARDIS, off to explore worlds unknown, for goodness knows how long (that is, until he meets Donna again)