Doctor Who_ Enlightenment - Barbara Clegg [19]
‘It’s round here,’ he said firmly, leading them past the pile of crates and boxes. But there was no TARDIS. ‘Where is it?’ asked Tegan in a frightened voice. ‘It was here,’ the Doctor said slowly. Turlough nearly exploded with quiet irritation. ‘The TARDIS can’t just have disappeared!’ The Doctor was silent for a second, then he swore under his breath. It was himself he was angry with. ‘The Eternals have learnt about the TARDIS,’ he whispered.
‘You are right.’ The voice came from behind them. As they swung round, the First Officer was revealed in the light of their torches, standing a few inches away.
Turlough turned to make a dash for it, but where there had been empty space a moment earlier, the Second Officer now stood, close enough to touch them.
‘Take the woman to Mr Marriner.’
Tegan’s struggles were useless, and she was led away.
The Doctor’s efforts to help her simply resulted in him being held in a painful and extraordinarily powerful grip by the First Officer.
‘Please, Doctor,’ the smooth voice was unruffled.
‘Resistance is futile. And we mean her no harm.’
‘What have you have done with the TARDIS?’ was all the Doctor would say. The officer released him. ‘Follow me,’ he ordered, ‘You will soon find out.’
Tegan was escorted, politely but firmly, to the locker where the space equipment was kept. They stopped by the pegs where the pressure suits hung and Marriner emerged from the shadows. ‘I’m sorry you wanted to leave,’ he said in a reproachful voice, as soon as they were on their own.
‘Please put on one of these.’
‘A space suit! No!’ The last thing Tegan wanted was to go out into that enormous void which surrounded them.
But Marriner continued, gently but firmly, ‘Please. There is so much I wish to show you.’
Striker’s face was expressionless as he looked at the two prisoners in front of him. The Doctor’s was equally impassive. ‘I underestimated you,’ he said in a voice as cold as the Captain’s. ‘You have a greater ability to read minds than I realised.’
Striker seemed amused. ‘You helped me. Such was your concern, I could see into your mind as far away as Miss Tegan’s cabin. The picture was as clear as if you were standing here.’
‘What picture?’ The Doctor’s heart sank.
‘The picture of your ship,’ came the answer. ‘I believe you call her the TARDIS. Adrenalin is a most effective energy boost. It was your own fear that gave her to us.’
The Doctor had never felt so desolate, but anger pulled him together. ‘What have you done with the TARDIS?’ he asked fiercely. ‘And where’s Tegan?’
‘She’s on deck,’ Striker replied. ‘Perhaps you would care to join her.’
An officer held out two of the space suits, and while the Doctor and Turlough were struggling into them, the Captain continued smoothly, ‘On deck you will have an interesting view of our competitors. It might help you decide which one is the saboteur.’
The Doctor went on fastening the suit, keeping his voice casual as he asked, ‘What are you all competing for?’
There was silence. Pretending to concentrate on a buckle, he persevered, ‘The whole point of a race is to win something, after all. So what’s the prize?’
‘Enlightenment.’ Striker’s melancholy voice rang as he spoke the word. The Doctor and Turlough exchanged a look. ‘Enlightenment?’ the Doctor asked.
Striker stared into some secret world of his own. ‘The wisdom which knows all things,’ he said, ‘and which will enable me to achieve what I desire most.’ Even as the question framed itself in the Doctor’s mind, Striker turned away. ‘Do not ask, Doctor, I will not tell you.’
Tegan gripped the ship’s rail and gazed about her. How could she have thought that space was empty, when it was so full of stars; there were a hundred