Doctor Who_ Alien Bodies - Lawrence Miles [127]
Over the centuries, the Krotons have developed rudimentary emotional capacity, and have even become capable of creativity, yet something of their heritage remains. Even today, each individual unit is “slaved” to the Kroton Absolute. Every Kroton is psychologically linked to every other Kroton, or at least, to every other Kroton within thinking distance. Some researchers have mistaken this link for telepathy, but in fact the connection is far more subtle.
The crystalline neural networks of the Krotons vibrate as new thoughts cross their minds, and if several Krotons are all thinking about the same thing, their brains vibrate on identical frequencies. Individual units can feel each other’s mental fluctuations kilometres away, in much the same way that animals can feel earthquakes hours before any humanoid notices the ground begin to shake...
– Professor Gustous Thripsted, Genetic Politics
Beyond the Third Zone, Appendix XXIV.
Across the Unthinkable City, and in the craft that hovered above it, forty-one tellurium-based brains trembled in sympathy. On E-Kobalt’s command, the dynatropes still in the air arranged themselves into a new formation. E-Kobalt knew, even from its position on board the black ship, that one of its underlings had located the Relic. And the pilots of the Warspear knew, from the control centres of their own vessels, what E-Kobalt wanted them to do next.
Each Kroton had the same idea in its head. The old military instinct, the same aggressive urge the Kroton Absolute had learned from the servo-robots on Krosi-Apsai-Core all those years ago. The situation was, in the mind of the commander, quite simple. Once the Relic had been removed from the building, the City would be destroyed, and all the unreliable carbon-based units inside it would be destroyed, as well. It wasn’t a plan, it was a fact.
‘This one,’ said Sam, skidding to a halt halfway down the passage.
The Doctor peered through the doorway. Sam watched his face as he got his first eyeful of the shrine. He didn’t look surprised, but he did look vaguely revolted.
‘Definitely TARDIS technology,’ he said. He glanced back at the corridor behind him. ‘What happened to Cousin Justine?’
Sam swore to herself, very very quietly. In a world of his own again, she thought. ‘We lost her ages ago. Didn’t you notice? Listen, we can’t leave yet. We’ve got to get Kathleen. And the Relic.’
‘We’re not leaving. I think I’ve got an idea.’
‘You think you’ve got an idea?’
‘I think so. But I could be imagining it. There are a lot of background thoughts around, it’s getting hard to concentrate.’ The Doctor tilted his head a little. ‘Do you hear that?’
Sam listened. There’d been all kinds of noises around the place while they’d been making their way here. Collapsing masonry, scurrying feet, spinning heads, the works. Now all she could make out was a steady rumbling sound, quite close, maybe around the next corner.
‘It’s one of the Krotons,’ she said. ‘That’s the noise their treads make.’
‘Perfect,’ said the Doctor. Then he hurried off down the corridor, towards the source of the noise.
Sam was so startled, she didn’t even feel like kicking him. She moved after him, but she stopped when she saw him reach the end of the passage. He’d come to a halt, facing the corridor around the corner, waving his arms. Oh no, thought Sam. Please, don’t let him be waving at one of the Krotons. I mean, please.
‘I-den-ti-fy-yourself,’ burbled a voice from around the corner. Sam winced.
‘I am the Doctor,’ the Doctor declared. He made it sound like an important announcement, like he was reading out the nominations for an academy award. ‘I think your commander