Flight of Fire

March 18, 2017...

"As head coordinator at NASA we are pleased to announce our first round trip to Mars for a select few individuals. Beginning now we will take applications for the trip then send them out as soon as possible. Thank you".

Cape Kennedy, Florida, USA..

The month of April came quick for those at NASA as they screen all the applicants for the one way Mars mission. Coming down on ten people, they quickly made the announcement and began to make accommodations.

"No no..the high fusion valve needs to go on that side" Mark, the head engineer instructed his younger associated as they worked on some patch work on the outside of the shuttle. Waving his pen in the direction where he wanted it, Mark showed Brandon where to place the valve, "Just fasten it up and we'll be good.". Suddenly Marks ears perked up, his attention being driven away from Brandon and the shuttle in front of him. "Do you hear that?" Mark asked, "Kind of weesing...groaning sound. What is that? Fuel leak?", "I..i don't know" Brandon replied, standing up.

Arching an eyebrow, Mark entered the shuttle, flipping out a flash light he had previously strapped to his utility belt. Clicking it on, Mark cautiously moved through the shuttle narrow corridors and hallways, "Hello?" Mark called out. The sound of shuffling echoed from a few feet in front of him; Mark gulped. Slowly Mark turned the corner, his light immediately hitting the face of The Doctor as he turned. "What the hell are you doing in here?!" Mark hissed, "Sorry. New maintenance worker assigned to the shuttle for the mission. Was just..checking up on the systems before lift off" The Doctor replied, branding his psychic paper and handing it to Mark.

Mark snatched the psychic paper aggravatingly from The Doctors hand and quickly read through it, "Okay Mr. Smith....better come back with us. They're taking the applicants in the main lobby of the center and they want us all to be there..better not be late" Mark mumbled, handing The Doctor back the psychic paper.

"Okaaaay..." the head of the expedition said as he flipped through the doctor's papers, and glanced once more at the plastic card that served as his "ID". I should really buy one of those psychic papers... the doctor mused to himself. He would the next time the TARDIS actually got him somewhere where they were in stock. "Okaaay..." the coordinator said again, as he checked his clipboard. "A Dr. John Smith, UNIT recommended" The doctor had wanted to travel to Mars in a more leisurely fashion. He could be there in a flash, but for once it was the getting there part that sounded more fun. "You're all set." The man said. Hopefully this mission to Mars wouldn't turn into a catastrophe.

The Rani had set her T.A.R.D.I.S to random to shake the cobwebs loose from her ship. She arrived in March,and she had all her old ID from being Syra. The eyes could be explained as contacts,she filled out the application. She was chosen,and Nysil had to go to his sire in Japan so she was going solo this time. She was bored,as she waited in case they needed to contact her.

As April came,she gathered with the other that had been chosen. She was wearing a black catsuit with high heel boots and a belt with the rhinestone 'R'. She showed her ID as she gathered with the other applicants. She was excited her first time out as herself,but she knew the T.A.R.D.I.S never choose destinations for the heck of it. They were as connected to the time-space vortex as Time Lords themselves were. Well,it was Time Lady when it came to her. She had left her T.A.R.D.I.S in Nysil's capable hands. She milled around and conversed with others they were all just excited. She hoped they did not run into any Ice Warriors,that was one of the reasons she stayed away from Mars.

The list of attendants was flipped out in front of the head commander, his eyes scrutinizing each name and corresponding picture as each person entered the room one by one. Six men, six women slowly made their way through the open door. The applicants eyes trailed the shiny marble floored lobby of the space center, the main center spiral staircase in the shape of a DNA helix catching the majority of their attention. The Doctors eyes too trailed to the wonder of the room as he and Mark walked briskly past it, trying to get to their positions before the head commander noticed; he did.

Rolling his eyes, the head commander sighed, "Can i count on you ever being on time Marky Mark?" he asked jokingly, "No but you can count on my job being done properly every single time. Sir." Mark quickly replied. The head commander smiled, turning his attention over to the line of applicants that had formed in front of him and his desk, "Welcome to NASA boys and girls" he proclaimed. Standing up, the head commander began to pace back and forth in front of the applicants, his grey hair shinning beneath the lights of the lobby, his wrinkles and narrow eyes glaring at each person. "Today marks a day in human history. The first people to ever set foot on Mars...this will put a huge mark on our society and you get to be here. Immortalized forever. You've all been screened and tested. Now's the time...let's start people".

Turning around, the head commander gave Mark a confirming nod and Mark looked out to the applicants, "Alright folks. It's time to grab your personals and head up the stairs. To the right is where you will turn. Keep going straight until you reach the shuttle entrance, your bunk number is labeled on your packets". Bumping The Doctor with his shoulder, Mark handed The Doctor a handful of folders, "Give these to them at the stairs, i need to go check something really quick", "Oh! Do i get one?" The Doctor asked with wide eyes, "Get on with it private Mikhail". The Doctor narrowed his eyes, flipping out his psychic paper when Mark turned his back, Private Sam Mikhail, engineering adept , "Well that's new..." The Doctor mumbled. Walking over to the stairs The Doctor held out the folders, flipping through them to match what the person said as they walked up.

The Rani looked around her and her eyes were drawn to the staircase,as her attention was drawn t the head commander,she listened to everyword. She followed the others as they headed for the stairs,she held a small dufflebag,it held some clothes and a cell phone. Nysil was only a phone call away,and he could park her TARDIS inside her room,after she received her information. She made her way to the stairs. Her eyes saw the paper the man had,as she knew what that blank paper was.
When she was standing by the man she said,"The paper says Syra but I go by Rani."

This was the first time she was a part of a experiment and not the one doing the experiments. She was very nervous and excited. She was excited to find out why her TARDIS choose the flight to Mars. her gold eyes looked at Private Mikhail.

The doctor, the shorter younger version, didn't have any suitcases or duffel bags. Though his pockets could hold just about anything. Slipping his hands inside them, he followed the others up the stairs. He took his folder as it was handed to him, but failing to see who it was who was passing them out. Yet he did recognize the Rani from the back of her head. This had been the second time he'd run into her. As they turned a corner he caught up to her and whispered "so, in the mood for a cruise to Mars, the long way around?"

The Doctor kept an eye on the Rani as she walked by him, his eyebrow arching as every atom in his body began to tingle and a feeling of pulsating excitement overcame him. "Time Lord..." He mumbled under his breath as the last of the crew took their files. Snapping out of his gaze, The Doctor bolted up the spiral staircase, maneuvering past two people before reaching the top of the stairs and immediately spotting The Rani along with a previous incarnation of himself, a sight that caused a huge grin to appear on his face. "Hey!" A voice called from behind him, "Mikhail! Aren't you supposed to be on the ship right now?", The Doctor spun around, his eyes wide and baffled as he laid eyes on the other engineering private. "Oh yes! Sorry...just got finished passing out the pamphlets. Emm...i did need to ask though. Whose keeping an eye on the applicants hmm? Is there a security guard or some sort of enforcement?" The Doctor asked, "Umm...no. One of the reasons they were chosen was because of safety...why?" the other private asked, "I have a bad feeling about this...keep an eye out".

All applicants and crew...please report to the docking station. Lift off is in ti minus two minutes An overhead speaker proclaimed, the other private nudging The Doctor to follow him as The Doctor took one last glance back at The Rani before walking away with a sniff. The docking station was small upon entering; a hallway lead everyone down to a narrow walkway that looked over the hundred foot drop to the ground below, the space shuttle looming at the end of the walkway. The Doctor and the other private entered first, meeting with the head engineer in the control room with the two pilots, cameras helped the crew view the applicants as they entered. "Why do you think somethings wrong Mikhail?" The other private asked, strapping himself into the chair along, "More like a hunch...a good hunch." The Doctor replied, smiling at the private as he too buckled down.

"Enough talk ladies. Lets get this thing on the road" The captain hissed, pressing down on the speaker button, "Lift off on twenty seconds. Strap in, put your personals into the racks above. Let the countdown begin". Letting off of the button, the captain and his copilot began to prepare the vessel, the space shuttle began to shake, the engines began to kick in, an overhead call could be heard from the outside. Five.....Four.....Three.....Two....One, "Allons-y" The Doctor muttered, a slow grin emerging from pure excitement.

Lifting the hat brim up from her eyes, Sonya surveyed the other passengers curiously. It had been a complete accident she was mistaken for one of the passengers. Good thing though, because apparently the woman wasn't going to show up anyway. Her gaze caught sight of a familiar head of tousled hair and ducked down behind the person walking in front of her, mentally cursing in every language she knew.

'My luck is just so crappy today. All I wanted to do was take a tour of NASA but no, I get shuffled along onto the ship and now I'm stuck with...' Her gaze drifted around and landed on a familiar face again, making Sonya bite back another groan and thump her head lightly against her palm. 'Not with one, but two Doctors. Just... Great.'

Waiting until he was out of sight, Sonya slipped around the other passengers and chose a seat farthest away from everyone and slid down until she couldn't be seen, her hands already placing the buckles into place before the announcement came to do so. 'Sometimes I hate my timing.'

Pulling the brim of her baseball cap down farther, Sonya hid her face and eyes from everyone's view as they all seated themselves and buckled in for the takeoff. She had only one bag to stow, no other clothes besides the spare change she kept in said bag. Thankfully she had the good idea to change her hair color from the brown she had before to a white-gold instead. So she shouldn't be too noticeable.

Then again the Doctors could easily tell if there was another Time Lord around just by sense...

Sinking farther down in her seat, Sonya rubbed at her face in irritation. 'Why me?'

After heading away from the younger looking doctor,the one she met when she reemerged appeared behind her as she turned around,"Are you stalking me or something,it is very creepy when I decide to become part of a experiment that there are two Thetas. I thought I made it clear in the academy I do not want to merge my time stream with yours. I swear you and Kol came up with the worst pick up lines."

She looked up at 'Mikhail' and winked at him,' great,he is going to think I am up to no good. maybe I should have fun,and strike a infamous Rani Pose every now and then.'

She walked along the walkway,but put both her hands on her hips as she stared towards the camera,before she continued walking. She was mentally laughing inwardly. She then found her seat,and but her bag in the rack above her. As she was sitting down,she sensed another time lord,and watched as Sonya take a seat,Rani then fastened her seat belt as she heard the countdown.'This should be interesting' she thought to herself.

"Me? Stalking You?" The doctor stared back at her. "Why would I want to follow you everwhere when I've got the entirety of space and time at my disposal? I'm here for fun." He quickly looked around him "Two of me?" He hadn't actually met his future self yet, having immediately grabbed his profile folder without glancing up to see who private Mikhail really was. He said sarcastically "Y'know I was planning to propose to you on the trip, but considering your negative reaction I guess marriage is off the table." He suddenly felt a sense of deja vu, only in a future sense. He was a time lord after all. Did he really come back here? It must've been excellent enough to warrant a return trip. He returned his attention to the Rani only to find that she'd left.

As he approached the camera, he watched the Rani strike a pose with her hands on her hips at the camera. As he approached the camera he suddenly stopped and did the same thing, laughing on the inside at the reactions of the viewers.

Once he'd boarded the ship he suddenly felt drawn to the girl with the baseball cap over her eyes. Perhaps it was her alien nature, her time ladyness. He took the seat besides hers, tented his fingers and stretched his legs. He yawned and leaned back in the seat. The doctor hadn't gotten any sleep last night, a good thing. He could do with a nap, especially through the initial takeoff. It was the one part he'd prefer to sleep through.