Doctor Who_ Blue Box - Kate Orman [64]
Swan says, ‘I want to own something that no-one else in the world has.’
‘What are you willing to pay for that privilege?’
Swan responds,’Ha ha ha. I ALREADY HAVE IT. It’s too late to demand payment.’
‘That’s not my meaning,’ retorts the Doctor.
‘???’
The Doctor says,’What will be the cost to yourself? Since no-one else in the world possesses what you possess, no-one can give you advice about it. No warnings, no rescue.
A very long pause. Then,’You warn me.’
‘I can only warn you to give it up. You know you don’t know what you’re dealing with.’
‘Every human advance is dogged by nay-sayers and doom-sayers.’
‘This is not a HUMAN ADVANCE!’ thunders the Doctor.
‘This is an intrusion from well outside the human sphere.’
‘Ha ha ha ha ha.’
‘If that’s too extraordinary to squeeze into your mind, then consider this: you did not invent this thing. You have no way to understand its workings. Rather than an advance, this is a leap into a realm riddled with unknowns.’
‘The problem is not me,’ argues Swan. ‘It’s you. You have the knowledge and you won’t give it to me. It’s your fault if something goes wrong.’
‘Then let’s meet in real life.’ (In real life, the Doctor was ranting about Swan’s cheap manipulation of ethics.) ‘I can help you understand the component, assess the danger.’
‘Ha ha ha ha ha.’
Swan stands up from her imaginary chair and walks out of the room. The Doctor doesn’t hesitate, but follows her through the exit:
The door opens into a large unlit
cavern. You can hear the sound of running water. An unlit torch is here. Fionnuala is here.
The Doctor has nothing to light the torch with. He stands in mathematical darkness, aware of Swan’s presence but unable to see her. It doesn’t stop him from trying to get the message across.
‘Your petty greed will not only endanger yourself and those you come into contact with – think of the consequences if those with ambitions beyond your own take your toy away from you. Just for once, think of something larger than yourself.’
Swan doesn’t reply. He talks about danger, but doesn’t give her a shred of evidence. She’s simply waiting for him to agree, confident he’ll have to give in.
Luis enters the cave.
‘SWAN!’ shouts the newcomer. ‘I KNOW THAT’S YOU.
FOR GOD’S SAKE TALK TO ME.’
‘Get lost, Luis!’
The Doctor picks up the unlit torch, ducks back into the living room, and thrusts it into the fireplace. He hastens back to the cave, where this and Swan are arguing.
The door opens into a large cavern. A
river runs through the east part of the cave. Fionnuala is here. Luis is here.
The Doctor types ‘Look Luis’. The computer responds: Luis is just a grey figure, an outline
without any details.
‘it’s gone,’ says Luis. ‘did you take it?? tell me!’
‘You should have been more careful,’ says Swan. ‘Anyone could have got into your apartment and discovered it.’
‘u have to give it back!’
‘Luis, get out of here.
‘give it back!!!!!!’
‘I’ll talk to you later.’
‘GVIE IT BAK OR I’LL KILL U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’
Everything stops, for an interminable moment, on that agonised, muddled threat. The Doctor thumps the keys.
Nothing. It’s as though the intensity of Luis’s need and fury has brought the computer world to a halt.
Then Swan speaks again.
Sorry about that. I kicked him out.
The Doctor types furiously.
What's happened to your friend, Swan? Is he always like that?
A long pause. Then:
Maybe it gives you an idea how
determined I am to hang onto what I've got.
Goodbye.
The Doctor grunts in anger, bangs the counter, and pounds out:
Wait!
But she doesn’t.
The Doctor and Bob tried to squeeze information out of the computer. Swan was gone, and just as both sides had planned, there was no way to trace one another. Luis, on the other hand, didn’t give a damn about covering his tracks. The Doctor and Bob were tracking him through the network, using the genie to poke around in the guts of the mud’s software.