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‘It’s sinking!’ he said. ‘The boat is sinking!’

‘Help me get him to the sick‐bay,’ said Benny. She realized what it was that Cristián was holding, and gaped at it.

Behind her, the Doctor muttered something. She tore herself away from Cristián and knelt beside the chair, lifting a damp lock of hair from the Doctor’s forehead.

‘Ace,’ he said.

* * *

2.11 am

Captain Smith had released the wireless operators from their duty, but Phillips clung to his set as though it were a life preserver. He tapped at it, twiddling with dials, trying to adjust the set. Bride was feeding a glass of water to a half‐conscious woman who perched on his chair. She sputtered and clutched at her husband.

‘Why don’t you get her to a boat?’ said Bride.

‘They’re all gone now,’ said the man. His eyes were unnaturally huge and dark, seeing into places he normally would never have looked. ‘All gone.’

Phillips did not look up. Experimentally, he clicked out two letter Vs, dot dot dot dash, dot dot dot dash. It was the Titanic’s final, meaningless message. Outside, the water was already sloshing up the deck.

Ace moved through an inch of water. The boat was tipping down towards the front, and she slipped and skidded as she tried to run. All the boats were gone. All gone. A sudden hush had fallen over the hundreds on deck, almost a reverent hush. She’d heard that non‐sound in the seconds before battle, the sound of human beings looking the universe in the eye.

The wave seemed to come out of nowhere. She caught a rushed glimpse of people leaping off the side of the ship, launching themselves out into the darkness, a woman’s skirts billowing ludicrously around her as the water lifted them. Then the wave picked her up and threw her overboard.

She tasted Atlantic, and restrained the urge to thrash, disoriented in the darkness, tumbling over and over. She struck other objects repeatedly – other people, parts of the ship?– and then she was spinning, seeing the Titanic’s lights flash past her.

Suddenly she was aware of the cold. She was instantly chilled, her hair full of salt. She felt the combat suit’s temperature regulators kick in on full power to compensate. She steadied herself, treading water slowly. The ocean was full of garbage. Something floated past that looked horribly like a baby… no, it was a child’s doll. She grabbed hold of something, a plank or a piece of someone’s luggage, and clung to it.

The Titanic’s lights flickered maniacally and went out. The ship tilted back, faster and faster, and Ace saw the vague shapes of people leaping into the water. The ship roared as its insides fell sideways, engines and people and cargo all falling to the stern in a single cacophony.

There was an almighty splash as one of the funnels toppled over, smashing into the water like a missile. The wave from it lifted her and pushed her away from the ship. And now the Titanic was standing as upright as an office block, blotting out the stars.

What a sight! Ace was laughing. What a sight!

Majestically, with perfect finality, the Titanic slid beneath the waves.

Then the screaming started.

* * *

Benny had been looking out into the cargo hold, listening desperately for any sign of Ace, when the TARDIS’s doors had suddenly closed. She’d had to step back quickly to avoid them.

‘What is it?’ cried Cristián, almost hysterical.

The time rotor started its shaky movement. ‘No!’ screamed Bernice, aiming a blow at the console. ‘No! Give her time! Give her more time!’

Suddenly, the console room was half‐full of water.

Cristián shouted as a salty wave washed around his hips. Ace appeared in the middle of the freezing fluid, coughing and spluttering. It ran out through the open internal door, washing down the corridor, beaching her like an exhausted whale.

Benny and Cristián knelt beside her while she vomited Atlantic. At last she took a great breath and said, with the deep profundity of the foxhole, ‘Shit.’

‘We thought we’d lost you.’ Bernice was almost crying in relief.

‘I thought I’d lost me,’ Ace said weakly. ‘Thanks for the rescue.’

‘Thank the TARDIS.