Unplanned Excursion
"Where are we going to go?" Joyce asked, as she removed her coat, frowning as snow flakes floated onto the floor of the control room. "Does it include a Starbucks? No one in town makes it like they do." She pouted.
"Once we take care of your coffee addiction?" Romana said, shaking her head. "What would you like to do?"
"We had to read Plato's "Republic" in Latin last week," Joyce said, squinting at the console.
"He was from Athens, wasn't he?" Romana said. "K-9?"
"Correct, Mistress," K-9 said. "The philosopher known as Plato lived in Athens."
"It was boring," Joyce said, leaning against the console. "But wasn't Greece supposed to be an exciting place? With the Olympics and the Spartans and Troy?"
"You want to go to Athens?" Romana said. "It's best in short visits, between wars. And Troy was not as epic as the stories claim."
"Maybe?" Joyce said. "Or something Plato-ish?"
"You want to go to Atlantis," Romana said.
"Plato talked about it, didn't he?" Joyce said. "Athens fought them and they sank into the sea? That's what my Latin teacher said. And we haven't been there yet."
"It is unlikely to be the same Atlantis," Romana warned her.
"There is a 35% probability, Mistress," K-9 said.
"That much?" Romana said, surprised. She twirled a dial on the console and glanced at a screen. "It's a long trip. We would have to stop in the Cardiff rift to top up Idris's artron tanks."
"What's it like?" Joyce asked excitedly. "Any shops? Do they have Starbucks?"
"Very advanced technology. Not quite as good as Gallifrey, of course, but it does have several unique aspects. It's been at the bottom of an ocean for a long time," Romana said. "Anything in the shops is likely dust now. There was a military presence there for several years. We probably don't want to go then. Though, did we get that new ice cream parlor for Sam's birthday, K-9?"
"Yes, Mistress," K-9 said. "It is now in hold Zeta Gamma."
"Good. Good. That one can't be ejected," Romana said.
"A birthday party on Atlantis?" Joyce said, perking up. "Whose? Can we go?"
"No," Romana said, shaking her head. "That isn't advisable." Putting a little flare into her movements, she grabbed a lever and twirled another knob.
"Will I ever get to see it?" Joyce said.
"Some day," Romana said, giving her the look that meant it was time travel related but she wasn't going to explain.
"Oh," Joyce said, frowning. "But we can go when no one is there and just poke around? Is it safe to take Missy there?"
"Possibly?" Romana said. "If she's in a cooperative mood and doesn't wander off."
"So, we'll go some other time when she isn't with us, then?" Joyce said. "The next time she runs off on one of her attempts to steal the Crown Jewels or Library of Alexandria we can go to Atlantis?" she said, with a giggle.
"That is acceptable," Romana said. "That still leaves us with the question of where to go tonight."
"Starbucks and then something holiday-ish?" Joyce said.
"There is the North Pole," Romana said.
"I thought Santa wasn't real," Joyce said.
"No, I believe he isn't," Romana said. "But there's a planet in the future where they celebrate a holiday similar to your Christmas. There are some odd festivities but I'm told it's a fair substitute. It apparently has a North Pole and a Santa's Workshop, if my memory is correct."
"A Christmas planet sounds like fun," Joyce said. "Let's do that! But Starbucks first. Unless they have a Starbucks?"
"K-9? Does Planet Kevin have any Starbucks?" Romana said.
"No, Mistress," K-9 said.
"What about Missy?" Joyce asked.
"What about Missy?" Missy said, sauntering back into the control room.
"We're going to Planet Kevin," Joyce said. "Did you want to come with us?"
"I'm sure I can keep myself entertained while you do whatever it is you do," Missy said, humming to herself as she started idly poking controls on the console.
Joyce watched her for several minutes before turning to Romana. "Starbucks?"
"Starbucks," Romana said, shaking her head. Reaching over, she flipped a switch sending the TARDIS briefly out into the void before landing with a slight shudder.
Joyce rushed to the door and cautiously poked her head out. They were sitting across from a small diner named Murphy's on an otherwise empty street the reminded her of their trip to past Dayton. She turned around to say something to Romana when Missy pushed past.
"Finally," Missy said, looking around. "Don't wait up." With that she strode off down the street.
"We aren't at Starbucks," Joyce said, hurrying back into the console room. "And Missy just took off."
Romana sighed, and looked at the main screen showing the diner. "We appear to be in New York City, in 1914."
"No Starbucks then," Joyce said, disappointed. "I'm sure Missy had something to do with this, again. Do we go after her now or can we get something to eat first?"
"I don't believe she can get into much trouble in this time period," Romana said. "But we shouldn't let her wander too far away and cause chaos."
"She won't be happy if we stop her scheme too soon," Joyce said, nodding. "Breakfast first? Maybe they have waffles?"
"K-9?" Romana said. "You'll have to stay here. If you and Idris could locate Missy before we return, that would be helpful."
"Affirmative, Mistress," K-9 said.
"What's there to see?" Joyce said, as they stepped out of the TARDIS and looked around. "I think my father's family lived across the river in New Jersey back then?"
"There's always something interesting going on in a big city, if you know where to look," Romana said. "But I'm not really familiar with this city. We probably shouldn't go far."
"So, just wait until Missy comes back, do the usual cleanup when one of her schemes almost ends the world?" Joyce said. "Standard Missy trip?"
"She doesn't always cause problems," Romana said.
"Except that one time," Joyce said, nodding sagely as they crossed the street.
"Yes, that one time," Romana said, pausing in front of the diner's door.
"Looks almost empty," Joyce said, peering through a window. "But I see coffee!"
Nodding, Romana opened the door and ushered her in.