Word and Image Meet

hollowcrown, a photo by mefinx on Flickr.

Within the hollow crown
That rounds the mortal temples of a king
Keeps Death his court, and there the antic sits,
Scoffing his state and mocking at his pomp,
Allowing him a breath, a little scene,
To monarchize, be feared, and kill with looks.

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Richard II, act 3, sc. 2, l. 160-2.

 

Ten Channels Jack Sparrow

I don't write fanfic any more but I used to have a lot of fun doing it. And the pirate episode this week reminded me of a favourite chapter. It comes from my story "Guardians of Time," which goes very AU after Doomsday. So AU, in fact, that it turns out Romana is ruling over an alt!Gallifrey in Pete's World, the Doctor has settled down with Rose, and Martha is a Time Lady called Marthadvoratrelundar.

Anyway, no need to go into all that. But I still have a great affection for this chapter, in which Martha gets to talk TARDIS maintenance with Ten. Who reacts to her description of the risk-averse New Gallifrey by channelling Jack Sparrow.

“But Martha, a TARDIS isn’t just a Ford Anglia or something. She’s a ship.  A time machine. And a time machine isn't just a gravitic anomalizer, and a chameleon circuit, and a helmic regulator, and a vortex. That's what a ship needs. But what a ship is, what a TARDIS really is, is freedom."

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