The blue box rattled and tossed about the swirling vortex. Piper clutched the control board, watching with whimsy-filled eyes as her uncle sprinted around the panels, flipping switches and pulling knobs. He glanced up at her and gave her a ginormous, toothy grin. Piper’s hearts raced, smiling back with breathless wonder. She was far too excited to be afraid.

At last, the Tardis began to settle. The engines slowered, and it hummed quietly. Piper glanced at her uncle. Without a word, the Doctor cocked his head, gesturing towards the door. Piper grinned. She raced to the front door, hastily turned the handle of the knob, and flew the door open.

Her breath was taken away. What lied beyond the door, was space. A dark sky, littered with sparkling, shining orbs of light. Her mouth hung open. She clutched the side of the door. This was it. The moment she had been waiting for her whole life: to travel with the Doctor, and finally see space with her own eyes.

“Is this real? Am I dreaming?”

The Doctor walked up next to her, a smile still on his tilted lips.

“So, what do you think?” He asked.

“No, it’s not a dream.”

“It’s…It’s space!” Piper breathed.

“Is it everything you hoped?”

Piper took a half step forward and reached her hand out. The air was cool, but not freezing. The lights of the stars reflected their glowing rays on her fingers.

“Yes…Yes it is…!”

“Why don’t you try…taking a step outside?” The Doctor recommended.

Piper looked at him in surprise. “Will I fall?”

“Nah,” The Doctor calmly replied, “the Tardis provides a protective barrier. As long as you don’t float too far out, you’ll be safe.”

Piper’s eyes lit up. “How do I do that?”

“Here-” The Doctor gently took her hand, “-Just keep hold of my hand, I’ll make sure you don’t fly away.”

Piper smiled, and nodded.

The turned back to the spectacle before her outside the door. She clutched her uncle’s hand. She took a deep breath, let a foot out and stepped.

Her hearts skipped a beat. She expected to fall. But as the Doctor explained, she simply floated, slowly and gracefully. Her vest’s edges were drifting upwards, her hair, floating into millions of strands, as if underwater. She squeezed his hand tighter. She became less fearful of this brand new experience. She pulled herself around to look at the Tardis. It was spinning, but slowly, letting the non-gravity of space control its movements.

When she finished, the Doctor carefully pulled her back inside. She beamed, and wrapped her arms around him.

“Thank you, Uncle Doctor.”

The Doctor returned her hug, closing his eyes, and resting his head on hers.

“Piper Dominique,” he replied, “It is my honor.”

Just the two of them; time and space; and they were going to see it all!

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I promise I will post at least two Trapped at Arcade Station chapters before years end! This part of the story didn’t fit very well in Arcade Station, so I decided to make it its own one-shot!