Celestial Omnibus

The Celestial Omnibus, sometimes known as Iris Wildthyme's TARDIS, was a Time Machine of conflicting origin, which resembled a red London double-decker bus, specifically the Number 22 to Putney Common.

The Celestial Omnibus used the Time Vortex (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress, et al) and The Maelstrom (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme, From Wildthyme with Love, Elementary, My Dear Sheila) to travel through space-time.

Appearance
The Celestial Omnibus took the form of a red double decker bus - The 1963 AEG Routemaster RML with non-standard concertinaing doors - to be precise. (PROSE: Iris Wildthyme and the Unholy Ghost)

The bus also had a lockdown feature for emergencies, which would seal the bus up indefinitely. (AUDIO: The Iris Wildthyme Appreciation Society)

Unlike other TARDISes, it was slightly smaller on the inside than on the outside. (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress)

According to one source, the bus was not actually smaller than other TARDISes, but instead most of its interior dimensions were used to store water. (PROSE: Verdigris) However, by some accounts, the bus actually got its water from a space-time link to a Canadian lake in 1924. (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme, The Scarlet Empress)

The inside looked like a modified double-decker bus, though with a few hints of its true nature. (PROSE: Old Flames) The TARDIS had a small kitchenette in the back. The controls were on the dashboard, which resembled those of the Doctor's TARDIS during his eighth incarnation (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress), as they were a mixture of brass and wooden fittings, a radio, with an ancient black and white television set hanging from the ceiling. (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme)

According to some accounts, the controls had more of a similarity to a conventional bus, instead of a Tardis console, even including spark plugs. (PROSE: Iris Wildthyme and the Unholy Ghost)

The lower floor of the bus contained a record player and a rack of records, including some by Tammy Wynette. (PROSE: Future Legend) Iris also had a collection of tapes, including a Geoff Love rendition of the Doctor Who theme. (PROSE: Bafflement and Devotion), and various songs by Shirley Bassey (PROSE: Bafflement and Devotion, Enter Wildthyme), Vince Cosmos, Lady Marmalade (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme), and Neil Sedaka. (PROSE: Iris Wildthyme and the Unholy Ghost)

The Omnibus also contained a bookcase crammed with paperbacks and star charts. There was a settee and a bar stool. The windows were covered by curtains and blinds, and the interior of the Omnibus was illuminated by soft, warm lamps. (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme) There was also an Art Deco drinks cabinet (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme, Old Flames), a dishwasher and a clothes horse. (PROSE: Iris Wildthyme and the Unholy Ghost)

Upstairs, there was a sonic shower, wardrobes (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme, The Scarlet Empress) and another bookcase, this one filled with Iris' diaries. (PROSE: Enter Wildthyme)

History
Iris found the bus during her youth in the Obverse, where it had crashed, and breathed new life into it. She then left the Obverse in the bus into the universe beyond. (PROSE: Wildthyme Beyond!)

Iris once had Christmas dinner with Fifth Doctor, Tegan Jovanka, and Vislor Turlough in the bus. (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress)

When the Obverse was altered to be a bit more steampunk, the omnibus was transformed into an airship. (PROSE: Flasket Brinner and the Clockwork Heart et al) On one occasion, a member of Faction Paradox fused Panda with the airship. (PROSE: Panda and the Airship)

Fate of the Omnibus
In a possible future, Iris had changed into Bianca — Iris' own version of the Valeyard. Bianca converted her breaking-down TARDIS into a nightclub, planning to snare Iris and take her remaining regenerations. The Sixth Doctor used his own TARDIS as a time ram to destroy the club. (AUDIO: The Wormery)

Iris once rammed the bus into the City of the Saved's sealed Uptime Gate to save her companions from the Civil War. The fate of Iris and the bus was uncertain, (PROSE: A Hundred Words from a Civil War) but Cortalian once auctioned off a piece of timeship in the shape of a passenger bus gear shift which had been blasted down into history after colliding with the City. (PROSE: Going Once, Going Twice)

Near the end of the universe, PussyWorlders discovered the omnibus abandoned in the ruins of a Hyspero car park. They were unable to use it, as it seemed dead, but managed to snap off a loose piece of the drive system. (PROSE: Future Legend)

Undated events
Jack told Ace that hippies helped put Panda on "the bus to space". (PROSE: Teenage Kicks)1

Behind the scenes
Perhaps coincidentally, the number 22 to Putney Common appeared briefly in the opening scenes of Rose, the only time an allusion to the Celestial Omnibus or Iris Wildthyme has been made on television to date. On the original cover of Iris Wildthyme and the Polythene Terror published in 2019, the design of the Celestial Omnibus matched that featured in Rose with two identical adverts for The Lion King.