Doctor Who_ Companion Piece - Mike Tucker [30]
Paddy shook his head. 'The computer that runs this ship knows the needs of each of us and reacts accordingly. It is intelligent, but it is not alive.'
`Have you ever heard of the Cybermen?' asked Cat.
Paddy shook his head.
`W e ran into a group of them in the Prenadene asteroid belt. Huge, silver creatures. Terrifying. They nearly killed us.'
`I'm told the universe is full of such monsters:
`But what makes them monsters? The Doctor told me that they were people once. People like you and me. But they removed their humanity. They took out their hearts and lungs and organs and replaced them with machines. They replaced their brains with computers. They gave up their emotion . . . '
Paddy gave a deep sigh. 'So many in this universe turn to the extremes of science for their answers when they should turn towards God:
`Do you know whythey did that to themselves?' Cat's voice trembled with emotion. 'Because they wanted to live! Because their planet was turning more hostile towards them every day and they wanted to live. They didn't want to just lie down and trust in God. They made a choice not to die, not to take the easy, painless way out, and yet you tell me that with every cut of the scalpel, they damned themselves!'
Paddy said nothing.
Cat closed her eyes. 'I'm sorry. I don't mean to take it out on you:
Paddy smiled at her. 'You can take it out on me all you want, if it takes your mind off suicide:
Cat shook her head. 'I didn't mean that. I don't honestly think I'm capable of it.' She smiled back. 'Let's talk about something else . . . '
`Cat? Cat!'
How long had she been gone? The Doctor consulted his pocket-watch. Had he really been away that long?
He had been deep inside himself, deep in equilibrium, allowing his
personality to reassemble itself after his ordeal at the hands of the Grand Inquisitor.
He should have given more thought to Cat. She could be anywhere.
`Cat!' he barked. He was conscious of the edge in his voice. Foolish — the guards could come for them at any time. She was as safe on her own as she was with him.
Cat would look after herself. He had some serious talking to do. Even on the fringes of papal politics, the Doctor knew, one needed both information and allies, and he intended to garner both.
Cat returned over an hour later, feeling by turns elated and confused. Her head was full of her new friend. He had, of course, refused to try to let her out — clearly he wouldn't do anything to defy del Toro — but just to hear another civil human voice, to have a proper conversation rather than answer questions and accusations . . . Besides — it was uncanny — they had so much in common. He'd jogged so many memories...
Too many. That was the trouble. It was as if she was remembering for the first time who she was . . . who she'd really been before the Doctor had appeared.
W as she recovering from some form of amnesia? Or going mad?
The Doctor would help her. She'd wake him if she had to.
The Doctor wasn't there. Pinned to the makeshift cushion where he had been sitting for the past three days was a note: 'Gone to see the Patriarch:
`His Eminence will be joining us shortly,' said Guii del Toro. 'He asked for this meeting, but in the interests of doctrinal security, he has agreed to allow me to be present.'
`Very kind of you, said the Doctor. 'In the meantime, may I ask you a question?'
`Certainly,' said the Grand Inquisitor.
`W hy do I get the feeling I am being dragged into something much bigger than a simple murder?'
`W hat do you mean, Doctor?'
`Papal politics, more virulent than any I have seen since the days of the Borgias:
`I am a mere teacher of the truth. I am far from the politics of Rome.'
`Out here hunting witches. In the 28th Century! It's medieval, superstitious and barbaric!'
`Superstition.