Of the Mermaid and Jupiter ( short story ) Of the Mermaid and Jupiter was the twelfth short story in the Short Trips anthology " " . It was written by Ian Mond and Danny Heap . It featured the Seventh Doctor and Bernice Summerfield . Summary . It is 16 October 1829 . Captain Samuel Nolbrow and his crew of the " Mermaid " await their last passengers before setting sail . The captain is impatient by the delay , but soon the Doctor and Bernice arrive . They set sail from Sydney . During the voyage , the Doctor makes the acquaintance of Professor Burroughs . On the third day , the ship is becalmed . On the fourth day , a storm approaches . Benny and the Professor take refuge below deck , while the Doctor helps the sailors . Despite their best efforts , the ship smashes onto a coral reef . Crewman Peter Richley helps Benny to the reef , and all hands survive the wreck , though the Doctor has to convince Captain Nolbrow not to go down with his ship . After three days , they are rescued by the " Swiftsure " . Captain McIntyre refuses Captain Nolbrow ' s offer of help and makes them his guests . Benny begins to enjoy herself , but on the third day she notices wet footprints on the deck . The next day , the " Swiftsure " is headed for rocks . Benny wakes the " Mermaid " crew , most of whom are below deck . Once again , the ship crashes , and once again , all hands are saved . This time , however , their stay on the rocks is short — the " Governor Ready " rescues them after only five hours . On board the " Governor Ready " , Benny notices the Doctor sneaking into the cargo hold . Half an hour later , she notices him sneaking out and confronts him . She realises he is the one responsible for the wreck of the " Mermaid " and the " Swiftsure " , and he is about to do the same to the " Governor Ready " . He has set the ship on fire , and promises to explain later . All three crews take to the boats . The next day , they are rescued by the " Comet " . Captain Scott of the " Governor Ready " spreads rumours that the crew of the " Mermaid " were jinxed . Tensions run high , and the Doctor is busy keeping the four crews from fighting . Two days later , he asks Benny to help sabotage the " Comet " , as he is too busy keeping the peace . He tells her the wrecks are necessary to preserve the Web of Time . When a storm hits and the mast breaks , the " Comet " s crew takes to the boat , leaving the other three crews behind . Scott is shocked , but Nolbrow tells him it ' s his fault for spreading the rumours . The three crews clutch onto pieces of wreckage . Benny is horrified to discover shark s nearby . Professor Burroughs is terrified , and begins splashing wildly . Crewman Hussey of the " Mermaid " tries to quiet him . The Doctor hypnotises Burroughs into calmness , and he and Hussey , who was accidentally hypnotised , play quietly in the water . The Doctor keeps the sharks away with a sonic pulse . The next day , the three crews are rescued by the " Jupiter " . Benny notices the Doctor sneak away and follows him . He goes to the cabin of a sick woman who wants to see her son one last time before she dies . The Doctor sends Benny to fetch Peter , who is about the same age . When he tells Peter the woman ' s name , Peter realises it ' s " his " mother and goes to her . Benny realises that the Doctor set up this reunion , and the Web of Time was never at stake . She is angry that he risked four crews ' lives for a dying woman , but he explains that Sarah Richley ' s health improves from this moment , and she lives another twenty years . She helped the Doctor once , and he wanted to thank her . The Doctor tells Benny that the TARDIS is currently in the " Jupiter " s cargo hold , the Doctor having preset the coordinates . When Benny asks him why they didn ' t just pick up Sarah in the TARDIS and bring her to Peter , the Doctor hems and haws , and Benny realises that he didn ' t think of it . Continuity . " to be added "