Cold Fusion - Lance Parkin [62]
‘How long ago was this?’ Tegan asked.
‘That’s just it: Patience says that her husband has only recently returned from his journey. He took her as his wife the very day after his return. He was hailed as a hero, and many honours were bestowed upon him. She didn’t see much of him at first: he was busy shaping the new future.
He is still caught in the midst of the rebuilding, using the wisdom and experience acquired on his travels, but now he is beginning to find the time to see his family.’
The Doctor was rattling off the information, while also wearing that puzzled expression of his as he tried to assimilate the information. Tegan asked him what the matter was.
‘Something terrible has happened here. To me the Odyssey was thousands of years ago. Everyone from that time is long dead. In fact, little survives from the period, including historical records. While my people honour her husband, they no longer even know his real name.’
‘But you recognized it,’ Tegan noted.
The Doctor faltered. ‘I... I did, didn’t I?’
He shared a puzzled look with Patience.
‘Departure imminent. Start-up complete,’ a voice announced. They realized it was just the computer, and relaxed again.
The train lurched into life and began to move off It was travelling at walking pace at first. It nudged its way out of the stockyard, towards an archway. Tegan gazed ahead for a moment, seeing where they were heading. The engine cleared the archway and they were outside at the base of the pyramid, heading away from it along a concrete piazza and into the city. Tegan caught a glimpse of a futuristic tank, one that seemed to be floating a couple of feet from the ground like something from Star Wars. A small group of Adjudicators were massed around it, questioning a nervous-looking civilian. A few of them looked round as the train ran past them, but none paid it too much attention. The train began steadily picking up speed.
‘Do you know where we are heading?’ Tegan asked, looking away.
‘That departure board said “North”. I imagine that we’ll find out who planned this escape route there.’
‘What? You didn’t set up that rope ladder?’
‘No. Someone here has been manipulating events ever since we arrived on this planet. He’s been co-ordinating terrorist activity on this planet, and he’s attacked the Scientifica. I imagine that he also knows all about the ghosts and time disturbances. It was that person that arranged the escape route, including this getaway train.’
‘You knew all that but walked into his trap anyway?’
‘Yes,’ the Doctor said simply. ‘How else would we get to meet him?’
Part Four
A Bit of the Other
10
Snowfall
The car radio was announcing that the peacekeeping forces had stormed an enemy stronghold to the north.
Many terrorists, aliens and other criminals had been captured, or executed resisting arrest. A commentator told them that the war was nearly over now, but that people couldn’t be complacent just yet: they would have to remain vigilant against the threat of terrorist reprisals. The next story concerned energy rationing.
There was a checkpoint ahead.
Nyssa squirmed in the leather bucket seat, and looked across at Jovanka to see what he would do. He was already applying the brakes. A couple of humanoid robots moved forward, one at each side of the car. The drone on the driver’s side had a sign on his chest that flashed on, indicating that the driver should turn off his engine and wind down his window. Bruce pressed the control, and the window coasted down.
‘Where are you heading, sir?’
‘Hello, my name is Christopher Cwej,’ he said in a new voice, one softer and more measured than before. ‘I was planning to head along the ring road. I’ve got an apartment in Sector Seven, close to the spaceport. I’m taking this pretty