Doctor Who_ Full Circle - Andrew Smith [25]
'I try to be thorough, Doctor. It is the scientist's first prerequisite.'
'You said you wouldn't harm it.'
Dexeter responded apologetically. 'A scientist is responsible to the community, Doctor. Each of us has his task to perform.'
'Yes,' said the Doctor, beginning to move around the room, studying the apparatus, gathering information as was in his character. 'That's one thing I don't understand and I'd like you to explain to me, Dexeter. Your tasks.'
Dexeter was adjusting the sheet over the Marshchild to again conceal the ugly patch of red on its arm. 'How do you mean?'
'You're all so busy.' The Doctor waved an arm eloquently. 'Maintenance crews everywhere. What are you all up to?'
'Preparing for the Embarkation, of course.' Dexeter made it sound as if it had been a silly question.
'You're leaving Alzarius?'
'All our endeavours are directed to the return to Teradon.'
Quote-unquote, the Doctor remarked inwardly. 'If you're leaving the planet,' he asked, 'why all the fuss about the Marshmen?'
Dexeter smirked. 'The Deciders', he said, in a tone and with a short wave of the hand that dismissed them as simpletons, 'are returning us to our historic roots and our old knowledge. But my quest, Doctor, takes us forward - to new knowledge.'
'It does? Oh, goody.'
Dexeter, with some effort, ignored the Doctor's quip and went on, 'There are anomalies unaccounted for by the Deciders. Look at this tissue sample.' At this he caught hold of the Doctor's sleeve and virtually dragged him across to the bench microscope.
At Dexeter's eager invitation, the Doctor stooped to place his eyes to the microscope eyepieces.
'Remarkable, isn't it, Doctor?' Dexeter's voice was hushed with excitement. 'The organisation of the cell structure.'
The Doctor could not become so excited. The specimen looked quite normal - a few peculiarities, as could be found in any specimen taken from an alien form of life, but nothing particularly outstanding. With a non-committal look he lifted his head from the microscope. 'That's life, Dexeter,' he placated. 'Very remarkable, I agree. But don't you think you should be getting the creature back to its natural habitat?'
'It's too late for that, Doctor.'
'In fact I'd quite like to get back to my own natural habitat, come to that,' said the Doctor. 'Tell me, old chap, you don't happen to have come across a sort of a big blue thing with a light on top, have you? It must be out there somewhere.'
'It is impossible to leave the starliner, Doctor.' Dexeter's tone was quite final. 'The doors are sealed.'
The Doctor grinned knowingly. 'Oh, I think we could possibly arrange something.'
A deep, familiar voice came from the direction of the doors. 'What did you have in mind, Doctor?'
The Doctor whipped his head round to see Login standing in the entrance. He laughed and gave a little shrug. 'Just a hypothetical idea, Decider... Login, is it?'
'Your entry was more than a hypothesis,' said Login. 'Perhaps our security system is not all the manuals claim?'
'Oh, you can't always go by the manuals.'
'But we do, Doctor. Without the store of knowledge in the Great Book Room we would not have survived.' He gestured towards the door. 'Doctor, I'd like you to show me how you gained access.'
The TARDIS doors opened.
Romana was the first to emerge, looking around tentatively. There wasn't a Marshman in sight. The cave seemed empty. Behind her, Adric and the Outlers craned their necks for a view, and stepped out onto the cave floor with the utmost caution.
'I wonder what -?' Varsh began. And then he saw it. The others looked at him, then followed his gaze to the stack of riverfruits in the corner.
One of the riverfruits had split open and a wet, spindly spider was emerging, forelegs quivering agitatedly in