Doctor Who_ Father Time - Lance Parkin [95]
Miranda tugged her T-shirt off and started to put the ensemble on. The woman helped, sensing that Miranda didn’t want any more assistance than was absolutely necessary. She threaded the belt, buckled the shoes, adjusted the buttoning on the tunic to make it fit better.
The clothes felt good, comfortable, made-to‐measure.
Another Miranda appeared in front of the original, startling them both. This one was smartly dressed in odd clothes. She looked like Miranda from some parallel universe where she ruled over Earth. Miranda held up her hand, as did her double.
‘A mirror,’ she said, her double silently mouthing the same words.
‘A hologram,’ the woman confirmed, slightly disdainful. Clearly holograms were common in these parts.
Miranda looked at the woman again, then back at the hologram.
‘Do you have a brush?’ she asked, unsure what was nagging at her.
‘And cosmetics.’
‘I don’t wear them,’ Miranda told her. ‘I just want to brush my hair out.’
The woman nodded and walked over to one of the niches in the wall.
‘I’m on the flying saucer, aren’t I?’ Miranda asked.
‘You are aboard the Supremacy. The flying saucer brought you here.’
‘A mothership.’
The woman sat her down and began brushing the knots from her hair. The brush was gentle, and the bristles seemed to be moving independently, but the woman’s technique was rather brusque.
‘What is your name?’ Miranda asked.
‘I am the Deputy.’
‘That’s your title, but what’s your name?’
No answer.
‘Where are we? I mean, where is the ship?’
‘Earth orbit,’ a man’s voice said.
Miranda whirled. It was a stocky man in a green uniform. He was in early middle age, but had seemingly made no effort to keep fit. His jowls hung down, his arms were almost flabby. He was wearing a cloak, which disguised some of his bulk.
And she recognised him.
‘Ferran?’ Miranda asked, standing up.
He stepped forward, arms outstretched. ‘I’ve come back for you.’
* * *
Debbie was sitting up in bed, all four pillows propping her up. ‘I’m watching News at Ten. Put it on. Be quick.’
‘OK. Hang on.’
There was a pause; she heard him putting the phone down. Debbie took the opportunity to find a cigarette and light it.
‘What am I looking –’ He stopped mid-sentence.
Trevor McDonald was reading out the final item, but the Doctor would barely be listening: he’d be looking at the accompanying pictures.
A large silver disc, hovering over an exotic Indian building.
Cut to an excited Indian man. ‘It was UFO ship. It was there for just a minute, just a minute, then it went straight up, up into star.’
An image of a silver disc was being shown – hurriedly (and amateurishly) captured on some tourist’s cine camera – and Trevor McDonald was saying, ‘Scientists insist that the UFO is really a common cloud formation in the area, which is prone to monsoons.’
‘Where exactly?’ the Doctor was already saying.
‘They only said “Northern India”. I’ll phone Reuters, get them to pin it down.’
‘Good. Have you checked the –’
‘I’ve only just seen the report. I’ll go downstairs.’ She got out of the bed, found her slippers on the other side. The phone was cordless – she leaned her head against her shoulder to pin it to her ear. The heating hadn’t gone off yet, but it was starting to get chilly.
‘It was them,’ Debbie said. ‘It looked like the ship from Greyfrith.’
He didn’t pause for a moment. ‘Of course it was them, but whatever they were doing in India, they’ve finished doing it.’
‘You think Miranda was in India?’
She went into the lab, moved aside the poster with the periodic table on it.
‘There are only two people on this planet in this time that Ferran is remotely interested in – he didn’t come for me.’
‘But how would he know that Miranda was there if you didn’t?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘You’ve spent enough time trying to find her. None of the leads we’ve had said India.’
None of the leads had actually led anywhere, though, she reminded herself. She activated the time detector, let it warm up.
‘It’s on the student trail,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘We never went there together, so she might want to see it. It’s a