Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [32]
Ashe laughed at his own joke, despite the glowering face of his sergeant.
`Posting guards is standard procedure in such circumstances, 'Vollmer replied. 'We are in unknown territory with an uncertain mission and no way of knowing what, if any, threats we might be facing. Basic precautions are designed to protect us from such unknowns, sir.'
`Well, if you insist, Sergeant,' Ashe eventually agreed. 'If any of these unknown threats wants me, I shall be snoring gently in my tent. A good night to you'
Ànd to you, sir.' Vollmer selected three pairs of men for sentry duty, each to stand guard for three hours. 'Keep your eyes and ears open, and your mouths shut. We don't know what we're dealing with here, so stay alert. Johnson And Hawthorne, you take first watch. If anything untoward happens, fetch me first and the lieutenant second - got that?'
Extract from Observations and Analysis, A Journal: The Doctor waited until dark before going back to the TARDIS to fetch equipment. I watched for his return from my bedchamber, Mary keeping me company. The maid had insisted on staying as James had fallen asleep on my bed.
`You must have a chaperone, miss. If one of the senior staff were to walk in and find the two of you unaccompanied in here - think of the damage to your reputation!'
The moral strictures of this era seemed quaint and prosaic, but that is how these people live and so it should be respected. My father had often spoken of the need to recognise the value of the beliefs and opinions of others. You could never understand the reasons why somebody acted as they did until you could see any situation from their point of view - as well as your own.
Mary was first to see the Doctor returning, a heavy box clutched under his right arm. A few minutes later he had found his way back to my bedchamber. He began sorting through the equipment inside his box. 'Mary, could you wake James please? And Nyssa, perhaps you could help me get all this ready.'
I studied the items the Doctor had brought back from the TARDIS, a haphazard mixture of life-sign monitors, electrographic pulse counter and energy-monitoring systems.
Finding no rhyme or reason to this assortment, I asked his intentions.
Ì am going to hypnotise James and regress him to the moment when he believes he went to the Other Side. We will be able to monitor the event to see how it impacts on the space-time continuum.'
Mary was uneasy at becoming part of this plan, expressing her fears at being confronted by the ghost of her late father.
She volunteered to stand outside in the corridor and alert us if anyone was approaching.
The Doctor smiled reassuringly at her. 'That's fine, Mary.
There's no guarantee we will succeed or even that James will summon forth any dead spirits, but I wouldn't dream of forcing you to witness something like this.'
Mary admitted there was a page called Michael stationed at the end of the corridor who was smitten with her. Ì will talk to him for a while and keep watch for you.'
When she was gone, the Doctor turned to James. 'What I said to Mary applies just as much to you - I have no wish to force you into this. For the hypnotic regression to succeed, you must be a willing participant. There is a risk involved. If your spirit is drawn to this world you describe, there is no guarantee I will be able to bring it back.'
I asked what effect that would have, to which the Doctor said he wasn't sure.
‘If the link was broken, James's body would remain here while his spirit was left to wander between worlds. He might become one of the ghosts that apparently possess him.'
James agreed to take part. 'I need answers'
The Doctor began setting up his equipment. He asked me to monitor the results. 'Once we begin, I cannot let my concentration lapse for a moment. If it does, both James and I could suffer the same fate.'
Private Eric Hawthorne had joined the