"Morvin, look." Foon beamed at her husband. "Food."

"Oh great. Someone's happy." Slade muttered then moved away seeing the evil glare of Rita. The Doctor sighed wrapped an arm around her letting her rest her head against his shoulder.

"Don't have any then." Morvin glared at Slade. Rita smiled a little happy that he wasn't letting him get to himself or his wife like that.

Rita nodded at the Doctor thinking exactly what she knew he was thinking. Keeping his hand firmly on her waist the two made their way over to talk to Frame. "Mister Frame, are you still there?" The Doctor asked.

"Yes, sir, but I've got Host outside." He glanced at the door. "I've sealed the door."

"Those Host." Rita went on to explain. "They've been programmed to kill. Do you have any idea as to why anyone would do that?" She asked.

"That's not the only problem, Stone, 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."

"Yeah, right, fine." The Doctor cut off. "One problem at a time. What's on deck thirty-one?"

"Er, that's down below. It's nothing. It's just the Host storage deck. That's where we keep the robots." Rita flashed her sonic at the monitor knowing what he was talking about. A screen of the ship then appeared showing a small black box in a small area of the ship where deck thirty-one would have be.

"Well, what's that?" The Doctor asked. "Do you see that panel? Black. It's registering nothing. No power, no heat, no light."

"I've never seen it before." Frame muttered.

"One hundred percent shielded," Rita said. "Have any idea what exactly is down there?"

"I'll try intensifying the scanner." He informed them.

"Let us know if you find anything. And keep those engines going."

"Saved you two some. You might be a Time King and Queen from Gaddabee but you need to eat." Astrid handed Rita a small plate.

Rita chuckled. "It's Time Lord." She sat down beside the Doctor. "Or Time Lady in my case." She shrugged taking the offered food and handing a sandwich to the Doctor. "Thank you though."

"Yeah, thanks." He nodded.

"So, you two look good for nine hundred and three."

"You should see him in the mornings." Rita joked.

"Okay," Astrid said a little too quickly. The Doctors eyes snapped up staring at her then shifted over to Rita worryingly for her reaction.

She stared at Astrid for a moment before laughing. "I asked for that one." The Doctors gaze softened. It was one of the things he loved about her. Her trust and understanding, she knew Astrid didn't mean anything from that so why would she need to be jealous or mad? Then again when was she ever jealous?

"Doctor, Stone, it must be well past midnight, Earth time. Christmas Day." Mister Copper informed them.

"So it is. Merry Christmas." He smiled at them before turning to Rita. "Merry Christmas my love." He kissed her temple.

"Merry Christmas to you too sweetheart." She kissed his cheek in return.

Astrid then spoke up. "This Christmas thing, what's it all about?"

"Long story." The Doctor explained. "I should know, I was there. I got the last room."

"Now I never got told or knew about this." Rita looked at him.

"I'll tell you the story one day."

"But if the planet's waking up, can't we signal them?" Mr Copper then asked. "They could send up a rocket or something."

"They don't have spaceships."

"No, I read about it. They have shuffles. Space shuffles." Copper shook his head.

"Mister Copper" the Doctor looked at him speaking quietly. "This degree in Earthonomics, where's it from?"

"Honestly?" He looked at them.

"Just between us."

Mister Copper swallowed looking around for a moment. "Mrs Golightly's Happy Travelling University and Dry Cleaners." He muttered.

"You, you lied to the company to get the job?" Astrid stared at him.

"I wasted my life on Sto." He explained wiping his brow and sitting down. "I was a travelling salesman, always on the road, and I reached retirement with nothing to show for it. Not even a home. And Earth sounded so exotic."

"Hmm. I suppose it is, yeah." The Doctor hummed.

"How come you know it so well?"

"We were sort of, a few years ago." He stuttered. "We were sort of made, well, sort of homeless, and, er, there was the Earth." Rita nodded while taking the Doctors hand softly smiling at him.

"The thing is" Copper sighed. "If we survive this, there'll be police and all sorts of investigations. Now the minimum penalty for space lane fraud is ten years in jail. I'm an old man. I won't survive ten years." He finished speaking as a loud bang echoed.

The Doctor and Rita jumped up. "A Host!" The Doctor shouted to everyone. "Move! Come on!"

They ran to the Engine room where there was a large gap in the middle, a narrow fallen beam created a walkway across.

"Is that the only way across?" Slade asked.

"On the other hand, it is a way across." The Doctor corrected him.

"The engines are open." Astrid informed them peering down.

"Nuclear storm drive." The Doctor told them.

"As soon as it stops, the Titanic falls." Rita then added.

"But that thing, it'll never take our weight." Movin cried.

"You're going last, mate." Slade hissed.

"It's nitrofin metal. It's stronger than it looks." The Doctor promised.

"All the same, Rickston's right. Me and Foon should-" he stepped forward and cried out as the metal below him gave way, he fell towards the engines

"Morvin!" Foon cried.

"I told you. I told you!" Slade hissed at them.

"Just shut up." Mister Copper snapped. "Shut up!"

"Bring him back!" Foon cried the Doctor and Rita tried to comfort her. "Can't you bring him back? Bring him back, Doctor, Stone!"

"We can't. We can't."

"Foon I'm sorry."

"You promised me." She cried. Rita flinched the Doctor looked at her sadly watching her look down.

"Doctor, Stone, I rather think that those things have got our scent." Mister Copper worryingly looked back at where they came from.

"I'm not waiting." Slade hissed running over and heading to the beam.

"Careful. Take it slowly!" The Doctor shouted to him.

The ship violently shook and threw Slade forward onto the beam. "Oh, Vot help me." He cried out trying to shift himself across.

"You're fine!" Rita shouted. "Slowly."

"A step at a time. Come on, you can do it." The Doctor said.

"Kill. Kill. Kill."

Mister Copper turned his head back at the voices. "They're getting nearer."

"Sealed us in." The Doctor locked them in with his sonic.

"You're leaving us trapped, wouldn't you say?" Copper asked.

"Never say trapped." The Doctor told him.

"Just inconveniently circumstanced." Rita added.

"Oh."

They looked back at Slade who now was standing back up almost across. "I'm okay."

"Maybe he's all right." Foon cried. "Maybe, maybe there's a gravity curve down there or something. I don't know. Maybe he's just unconscious." She cried. Rita slowly made her way over as the woman cried in Astrid's arms.

"I'm sorry, Foon. He's gone." Astrid sadly hugged her.

Slade jumped up and down after reaching the other side. "Yes." He screamed. "Oh. yes! Who's good!"

"Bannakaffalatta, you go next." The Doctor ordered.

"Bannakaffalatta small." He began to run across before the Time Lords shouted at him. "Slowly!" Then sighed when he slowly started to move across. The Doctor looked over at Rita she shook her head knowing exactly what he was thinking and stepped over towards him tightly holding his hand in hers, telling the Doctor without words that she was staying with him. He nodded in agreement because he scared her once already today.

The Host began to hammer on the door again and Mister Copper cried out. "They've found us."

"Astrid, get across right now." The Doctor ordered her.

"What about you two?" She looked between Rita and the Doctor.

"I'm not leaving him." Rita promised. "Mister Copper you have to go." She told him.

"No, but we-" he began to protest but was cut off by the Doctor.

"Don't argue. Foon, you've got to get across right now."

"What for?" She cried. "What am I going to do without him?"

"Doctor?" Slade shouted. "The door's locked!"

The Doctor grabbed Foon's shoulders as Rita rubbed the woman's back. "Just think. What would he want, eh?"

"He don't want nothing." She cried again. "He's dead."

"Doctor, I can't open the door." Slade shoulder. "We need the whirling key thing of yours."

"Doctor I'm not leaving her." Rita told him hugging Foon.

"I'm not leaving the Stone with Foon alone!" He shouted.

"She'll get us all killed if we can't get out." He shouted back. The Doctor looked at Rita pleading. She swallowed and nodded letting go of Foon and took his hand knowing that Slade was right, they needed to get out otherwise everyone died. "Mrs van Hoff, we are coming back for you. All right?" He promised then led Rita onto the beam before following after her.

Bannakaffalatta looked up. "Too many people!"

"Oi!" The Doctor glared at him. "Don't get spiky with me. Keep going." They continued to move the Doctor right behind Rita watching to make sure she was safe. Bannakaffalatta moved over the weakest part as it moved slightly.

"It's going to fall." Astrid cried.

"It's just settling." The Doctor said to her. "Keep going."

They continue to move before the area became quiet.

"They've stopped." Astrid looked around.

"Gone away?" Bannakaffalatta guessed.

"Why would they give up?" The Doctor muttered looking at Rita.

Slade snapped wanting to get out of the engine room. "Never mind that. Keep coming!"

"But the Doctor is right, why would they give up?" Rita asked. "Where have the Host gone, why?"

Mister Copper gasped looking up. "I'm afraid we've forgotten the traditions of Christmas." He pointed upwards at one of the Host. "That angels have wings!"

They all looked up seeing the Host floating down to them multiple Host gliding around them."Information. Kill." They stated as the Doctor shouted for the group to arm themselves. Rita grabbed a pipe as the others did the same. The Host then began to throw the haloes towards them. They hit them away. However, one cut the Doctors arm and then Mister Copper.

"Doctor!" Rita shouted not paying attention as one deeply cut her arm no that no doubt would have resulted in possible blood loss with the situation they were currently in. "Ah" she groaned slightly before staring at it. "Now they are lucky I'm still under fifteen hours." She muttered as her arm healed the cut the Doctor looking at her worryingly before sighing seeing that she was okay.

"I can't." Astrid cried panting on the beam struggling to fight off the Host.

"Bannakaffalatta stop." He threw down his metal pole then turned to Astrid. "Bannakaffalatta proud... Bannakaffalatta cyborg!" He shouted lifting his shirt as an energy pulse shot out of him short circuiting the Host sending them to the core, one, however, landed on the catwalk behind the Doctor.

"Oh, Bannakaffalatta, that was brilliant!" The Doctor shouted beaming. His face fell as Bannakaffalatta collapsed onto the other side. Astrid jumped across sitting next to him. "He's used all his power." she sobbed

Bannakaffalatta looked at her sadly and quietly asked: "Did good?"

"You saved our lives." She said her voice slightly cracking.

"Bannakaffalatta happy."

"We can recharge you." She told him. "Get you to a power point and just plug you in."

"Too late."

"No, but you got to get me that drink, remember?" She pulled him into his arms.

"Pretty girl." He whispered before closing his eyes for good. The Doctor squeezed Rita's hand in comfort seeing the hurt in her eyes, Astrid then began to fasten his shirt, Copper then reached for a component.

"I'm sorry." He apologised. "Forgive me."

"Leave him alone." Astrid cried out.

"It's the EMP transmitter." He explained. "He'd want us to use it. I used to sell these things. They'd always give me a bed for the night in the cyborg caravans. They're good people. But if we can recharge it, we can use it as a weapon against the rest of the Host." He took the EMP transmitter out of him. "Bannakaffalatta might have saved us all."

"Do you think?" Slade asked. "Try telling him that!" He pointed to behind the Doctor.

"Information. Reboot." The Host stood up. Rita's eyes widened grabbing the Doctors arm.

"Use the EMP!" Slade shouted.

"It's dead. It's dead." Mister Copper told them.

"It's got to have emergency"

"No, no, no." The Doctor raised his arms. "Hold on. Override loophole. Security protocol ten. Six six six." He thought. "Er, twenty-one, four, five, six, seven, eight. I don't know, forty-two?" He then guessed.

"One!" Rita tried.

"Information. State request." The Host looked at her.

"Right then." She thought for a moment. "Why have you been ordered to kill the survivors?" She asked

"Information. No witnesses."

"But this ship's going to fall on the Earth and kill everyone." The Doctor then said. "The human race have nothing to do with the Titanic, so that contravenes your orders, yes?"

"Information. Incorrect."

"But why do you want to destroy the Earth?"

"Information. It is the plan."

The Doctor and Rita both frowned. "What plan?"

"Information. Protocol grants you only three questions." Rita groaned. "These three questions have been used."

"Well, you could have warned us." The Doctor bitterly replied.

"Information. Now you will die."

The Doctor grabbed Rita pushing her behind him as the Host raised its arms to grab its halo. A lasso came from behind trapping the Host's arms.

"You're coming with me." Foon spat jumping off of the side dragging the Host with her.

"No!" The Doctor and Rita cried out slightly leaning over the edge sadly watching the woman fall to the core, she risked her life to save the Doctor, to save everyone, they both then stood up their faces showing no emotion once she had disappeared. "No more."

They climb the remainder across the edge and headed into a corridor. "Right. Get yourself up to Reception One. Once you're there, Mister Copper, you've got staff access to the computer. Try to find a way of transmitting an SOS." The Doctor ordered. "Astrid, you're in charge of this." He held out the EMP transmitter.

"Once it's powered up, it'll take out a Host within fifty yards but then it needs sixty seconds to recharge," Rita explained.

"Got it?" The Doctor asked. She nodded and he handed it to her. "Rickston, take this." The Doctor gave him his sonic screwdriver. "I've preset it. Just hold down that button." He pointed "It'll open doors. Do not lose it!" He shouted. "You got that? Now go and open the next door. Go on, go!"

"All right!" He ran off. Rita handed Mister Copper a first aid kit.

"Mister Copper, you're going to need this." The Doctor informed him. "We need you fighting fit. Astrid, where's the power points?"

"Under the comms." She ran over and they plugged in the EMP.

"See, when it's ready, that blue light comes on there just like the Stone said."

"You're both talking as if you're not coming with us." Astrid looked at them.

"There's something down on deck thirty-one. We're going to find out what it is."

"And I'm not letting him go without me," Rita added.

"What if you meet a Host?" Astrid asked.

"Well, then we'll just have some fun." He grinned.

"Sounds like you do this kind of thing all the time."

"Not by choice. All we do is travel." The Doctor explained. "That's what we are." Rita nodded placing her hand on his. "Just travellers. Imagine it. No tax, no bills, no boss. Just the open sky."

"I'm sort of unemployed now," Astrid mumbled. "I was thinking the blue box is kind of small, but I could squeeze in it, like a stowaway."

"It's not always safe." He warned her.

"So you two need someone to take care of you." She looked between them. "I've got no one back on Sto. No family, just me. So what do you think? Can I come with you?"

The Doctor glanced at Rita. "Astrid, of course, I would love for you to come with us. If he wants it is his ship."

"Ours." He corrected her kissing her cheek then looked at Astrid. "I'd like that."

There was suddenly a loud bang causing the three to jump. The Doctor and Rita spoke to the bridge again. "Mister Frame, you still with us?"

"It's the engines, sir." He panted. "Final phase. There's nothing more I can do. We've got only eight minutes left."

"We will get there, do not worry Mister Fame," Rita informed him.

"But the bridge is sealed off." He protested.

"Yeah, yeah, working on it." The Doctor cut in. "We'll get there, Mister Frame, somehow." He looked at Astrid. "All charged up?" She nodded. "Mister Copper, look after her. Astrid, look after him. Rickston, er, look after yourself. Rita look after me."

"What do you think I do every day?" She laughed, "We look after each other it's what we do sweetheart" She then coughed as everyone stared at her the Doctor slightly blushing. "Right then, Astrid we'll see you later. We promise." Rita nodded taking off with the Doctor heading back to the bridge they crossed before.

They headed across and ran back to where they came from before they skidding to a halt at the gallery, turning around to go back, two Host blocked the exit standing in the way. The Doctor and Rita both grabbed sauce pans facing the opposite direction their backs pressed up together

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Security protocol one." The Doctor announced as they went to remove their halos. "Do you hear me? One. One!" They then lowered their arms. "Okay, that gives me three questions. Three questions to save our lifes, am I right?" He asked

"Information. Correct." 

Rita groaned.

"No, that wasn't one of them. I didn't mean it." The Doctor shouted. "That's not fair. Can I start again?"

"Information. No."

"Sweetheart do you want me to hit you around the head!" He looked at her wincing. "No? Okay then think Doctor."

"Blimey. One question left." He muttered. "One question. So, you've been given orders to kill the survivors but survivors must, therefore, be passengers or staff, but not us. We're not passengers. We're not staff."

"Scan us." Rita grinned seeing what he was doing. "You lot must have some bio-records so do a quick scan, we don't exist to you."

"Therefore, we're stowaways and stowaways should be arrested and taken to the nearest figure of authority." He said.

"And I guess." Rita tapped her chin. "I guess, and I'm normally quite good with my guesses, that the nearest figure of authority is on deck thirty-one."

"Final question." The Doctor announced. "Are we right?"

"Information. Correct."

"Brilliant." The Doctor beamed dropping his pan on the floor as Rita did the same, they then linked arms. "Take us to your leader." He grinned then looked at Rita. "I've always wanted to say that."

"I think you have said that before sweetheart." She patted his arm as he started to pout before they were taken away to deck to thirty-one.