Doctor Who_ Empire of Death - BBC Worldwide [66]
Òtherwise what?' The Doctor stopped abruptly. 'There is a threat implied in your statement, hardly the stuff of paradise or heaven or whatever you may choose to call this place. Otherwise what?'
Òtherwise you will never know happiness,' Adric replied. 'This is a transitional state created from your own thoughts and memories. Once you begin to accept your surroundings, you will see them for what they truly are. I am here to welcome you, a familiar from your past, to help you find the way into the light'
À sort of life after death reception committee?'
`There's no need to be flippant,' Adric said sulkily.
`Really? I like to think there's every need.' The Doctor stood on tip-toes to peer into the distance, looking over the rose bushes. 'So where's the general? He came through with me at the same time. Shouldn't he also be getting the same warm welcome?'
Èveryone who reaches the Other Side is greeted by memories drawn from their own lives as mortals. When I arrived Varsh was waiting to greet me.'
Adric, perhaps you can answer a few straightforward questions without resorting to vague hints, promises and threats.'
`There are no threats on the Other Side,' Adric replied.
`But the longer you continue to deny the reality of this world -'
`The longer I'll be stuck here among the rose bushes?'
The boy smiled. 'Something like that. Sorry. You must accept your own death'
'Ahh! But I didn't die,' the Doctor said. ‘So how can I be in the afterlife, hmmm?'
A man's scream rent the air, terrible and filled with fear. The Doctor shouted into the air. 'Doulton? Can you hear me?
Doulton!' But there was no reply. The Doctor turned on his former companion. 'That sounded to me very much like a man in agony.'
`You are mistaken,' Adric replied soothingly, reaching out towards the Doctor. 'Come with me so I can show you the truth'
He pulled away from the boy. ‘I think not. Either all of this is just an illusion or else I am still wearing my diving suit and helmet and you are somehow blocking that fact from my perception'
`Don't do this,' Adric urged. 'Find true happiness here'
Ànother time perhaps,' the Doctor replied. If I am wearing my diving suit, the guide rope should still be attached to my wrist. Now, what was the signal to begin hauling me back to the surface...?' He gripped his wrist firmly and gave it two sharp tugs.
Moments later a sudden jerk pulled the Doctor backwards across the sward. Adric remained where he stood, hands still reaching for the Doctor, begging him to stay. Another jerk and the Doctor was pulled into the air. He began gasping for breath, aware he was sweating profusely. As he rose into the sky darkness consumed him, cold and unforgiving, the sweet warmth of the rose garden fading away...
Vollmer assigned Doulton's two dozen men to keep the flywheels on the bellows box turning, happy to watch the cocky newcomers exhaust themselves. They had been giving Vol mer's own lads a hard time but enforced manual labour soon wiped their smug grins away. The sergeant put himself in charge of waiting for a signal from below, not wanting to entrust the job to anyone else. Losing two lieutenants in mysterious circumstances was bad enough, but accidentally drowning a general would not look good on anyone's service record.
Vollmer sat on the pontoon, one hand clasped on each of the guide ropes.
The sergeant didn't enjoy being this close to water. He had almost drowned at age seven while making a special visit to the public baths at Bethnal Green. An older lad called Maguire had been trying to bully him, forcing his head underwater for more than a minute. Vollmer had vomited for an hour afterwards but later got his revenge. He enrolled at a boys' boxing club and learned to defend himself, discovering a gift for pugilism. After besting all the other boys of his own age and several from the year above, Vollmer went back to the Bethnal Green baths where he broke his tormentor's nose and jaw. He got a thrashing from his father for fighting but took it without tears, content