Doctor Who_ Hope - Mark Clapham [106]
Something cracked, and Dave spat blood, straight into the face of his assailant. This only encouraged his attacker to increase the power of each blow.
Across the far side of the room, the Hypertunnel was solidifying, the image at its end coming closer and closer.
The image on the other side of the Hypertunnel began to coalesce. There was a city, an industrial landscape of vast concrete towers belching smoke into a sky darkened by pollution. Smelting pits licked the air with flame, armies of pistons pumping up and down through the rooftops of vast factory complexes.
Look Doctor, Silver sneered. A forgecity on the Imperial Throneworld, the great furnace that powers the machinery of galactic government, if my records are correct. Im going to go there and spread my new Kallisti, until the entire government, including the Empress and all her royal kind, bow down to me. Then these furnace cities will build me a fleet of ships. Silver produced a datapad from his belt, and flicked a switch. He waved it in the Doctors face, numbers scrambling up the pads small screen. Ships based on your ship, Doctor. Ill take the data your little friend gave me, and build a fleet of time ships. Silver slid the datapad back into the pocket on his belt. Then there will be no limit to my power.
The Doctors eyes bulged, although whether that was because of what Silver was suggesting, or simply the vicelike grip around his throat cutting off the air to his brain, no one could tell.
I am going to kill you, Doctor, and then Im going to create a universe in my image. There will no longer be men or women, Endpointers or humans, or any other form of individuality. There will be only Silver, and those who follow him.
The Doctors bloodshot eyes began to flutter. A drop of blood rolled out of one nostril, down his cheek.
I am strong, Doctor, said Silver quietly, almost whispering into the Doctors ear. You are weak. I am a killer, a conqueror, while you are about to die, defeated, alone, crushed.
For reasons Dave couldnt quite understand, a dart had appeared in the forehead of the Silverati who was attacking him. That Silverati was looking over Daves shoulder, and Dave used this as an ideal opportunity to kick him hard in the balls. As he went down, Dave kneed him in the face. The Silverati holding his arms then decided to drag him back, away from the man who had been pulping Daves innards. This was fine by Dave, who used the momentum to push himself further back, causing both him and his captor to topple backwards. He landed on the Silverati with a crunch, and was free. Another Silverati ran at Dave, and he punched him in the face, following it up with a kick to the shins. By the time the next two came for him, Dave was in full swing, putting every byte of combat information programmed into him to use, stretching the capabilities of his enhanced body as far as they would go. He almost forgot his mission, so entranced was he by the rhythm and beauty of violence, the ecstasy of fighting and winning.
Let him go, said Anji. She aimed the gun at Silver, advancing across the space between them. The Doctor seemed on the verge of choking his last.
Silver turned, confused. When he saw Anji, he began to laugh. His hilarity echoed around the room, each peal of laughter folding in and repeating over the next, in a way that seemed to echo around Anjis skull.
In spite of Silvers dismissive reaction, Anji kept the gun level. I said let him go. She nodded to the Silverati. And tell your freaks to stay back.
Dear me, and I thought we were friends, said Silver, maintaining his grip on the Doctors throat.
It was Anjis turn to laugh. You make a deal with me then try to