Doctor Who_ Earthworld - Jacqueline Rayner [49]
‘Shut up!’
‘I’m not Fitz.’
‘Shut up or I really will shoot you! If you’re not going to tell me anything, at least I can safeguard my reputation and stop any of my rivals getting at you!’
‘But I’m not Fitz. I’m not.’
‘This is a real gun you know!’
‘Where would she have taken him?’
‘Don’t know,’ said Xernic. ‘She’s probably got an office down here somewhere.’
They were hurrying down a corridor, not unlike the one backstage at the theatre. Actually, Anji thought it may well have the same carpet. How cheap.
‘Look, here we are. VENNA DURWELL. CURATOR.’
Anji knocked on the door. No answer. She tried it. Locked. ‘Must be somewhere else,’ she said.
Xernic was frowning at the door. ‘No, I think I can hear something inside.’
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As one, they both placed an ear to the door.
‘I warn you, shut up or I shoot! My reputation’s more important than your stupid life!’
‘I’m not Fitz.’
‘I’m going to shoot!’
Anji and Xernic looked at each other. ‘She’s flipped,’ said Anji. ‘Try to break the door down. I’m going to go and get the Doctor and his sonic screwdriver.’
She ran back towards the control room.
‘Doctor!’
‘That was quick!’ he called, head stuck in a control panel muffling his voice.
‘Now can the three of you wait for me outside, please? This thing’s got less than a minute.’
‘Doctor, we didn’t get Fitz! That curator woman’s threatening to shoot him!’
‘What?’ The Doctor straightened up too quickly, knocking his head on the underside of a monitor. ‘ Ow! ’
‘You’ve got to come and unlock the door. Please.’
The Doctor looked from her to the control panel, then back again. And again.
‘All right! This should work on its own. Come on.’ He grabbed a small LCD
timer. ‘Look! Thirty seconds!’
They ran down the corridor, Anji leading the Doctor by the hand. ‘Twenty seconds,’ cried the Doctor as they reached Durwell’s office.
‘They’re still in there,’ gasped Xernic, stumbling away from the door. ‘She’s really lost it. And the door just won’t open.’
‘Well see about that.’ The Doctor handed the timer to Anji, and produced his sonic screwdriver.
‘Ten seconds,’ read Anji.
‘Not a problem!’ said the Doctor, unconvincingly.
From the other side of the door, they heard: ‘I’m not Fitz.’ ‘This is your last warning! I’m counting down from ten, then I shoot!’
‘Nine seconds,’ said Anji.
‘Nine!’ Venna Durwell’s voice.
‘Easy!’ said the Doctor.
‘Eight seconds,’ said Anji.
‘Eight!’ echoed Venna Durwell, inside the room.
‘I’m not Fitz,’ said Fitz’s voice.
‘Seven seconds.’
‘Seven!’
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‘Six.’
‘Six!’
‘Nearly there,’ said the Doctor.
‘Five.’
‘Five!’
‘Four.’
‘Four!’
‘Three.’
‘Three!’
‘Hold on to your hats. . . here it comes –’
‘Two.’
‘Two!’
‘Hurry, Doctor! One!’
‘One!’
The door beeped open.
The gun went off.
There was a massive explosion – but. . . not from the control centre: it was here, in front of them, and as the door slid back all they saw was a flash of blinding white light as they were hurled to the ground.
The Doctor, Anji and Xernic staggered to their feet, and peered into the room through the clouds of grey smoke. Venna Durwell was lying on the floor, not a pretty sight, gun still in one hand and. . . (was their vision distorted by the fog?) a detached hand burled deep in her head. . .
‘Fitz!’ gasped the Doctor.
‘Oh dear,’ said Xernic. ‘I think your friend’s exploded.’
‘So that Fitz was a replicant after all,’ said Anji, later, sitting gingerly down in a control-room chair. ‘He did say that he wasn’t Fitz, Doctor.’
‘Anyone can make a mistake,’ said the Doctor, seemingly unconcerned.
‘Just as well for Fitz that you did! That woman would have killed him!’
‘Had it been the real Fitz,’ the Doctor assured her, ‘he would never have let that happen.’
‘At least the Doctor’s plan worked,’ put in Xernic, nervously. ‘All the robots are out of action. And. . . and nowhere exploded.’
‘Apart from that woman’s office,’ said Anji.
‘And that woman,’ added the Doctor.