Doctor Who_ Last Man Running - Chris Boucher [51]
‘You meant where did he come from?’ He shrugged. ‘I don’t know whether they’re taking them or faking them.’
‘What does that mean?’ Leela tore a handful of grass and began to clean her knife meticulously. ‘Our tribe’s shamans talked in riddles. It made them sound wise. The more nonsense they talked the more powerful they became.’
But the Doctor was not listening closely enough to recognise the criticism. ‘I can’t totally rule out anything yet.
However, assuming these things are not all indigenous it seems unlikely that they’re being brought from other planets, or even other parts of this planet, and simply let loose to run around here waiting for the opportunity to jump out and attack people. But if they’re not taking them then how are they making them?’
‘You said “faking them”.’
‘Same thing.’
Leela found that the knife blade had lost its edge in some places. ‘I need to sharpen this,’ she said.
They walked towards the rocks, leaving the investigators to recover. ‘Are they cloning from original templates?’ the Doctor mused. ‘And if so, where would they get them from?
There would have to be a bank somewhere. Unless they’re specifically engineering them one by one.’
‘Who is this they you keep talking about?’
‘Exactly,’ the Doctor agreed. ‘And how do they know where to set up their creations? Does your presence trigger it automatically or are they directly targeting you?’
‘Why are you so sure it is me?’ Leela flared.
‘It’s something to do with weapons development.’
‘All I have got is a knife.’
‘I think that might be the point,’ the Doctor said thoughtfully. ‘Of course I could be completely wrong.’
They reached the limestone outcrop. Leela sat down by one of the larger pieces of tumbled rock and set about honing the damaged blade. ‘So what you are saying is,’ she said, carefully spitting on the metal, ‘you have no idea where he came from.
The Doctor smiled a depressed smile. ‘Before he came out of that shaft?’ he said. ‘None at all.’
Chapter Seven
They sealed Sozerdor in a tagged seek-bag and left him for autolift by the search-and-retrieval ship when it came, if it ever came.
Kley was full of agonised remorse. ‘This whole mess is my fault. I should have pulled us out at the first sign that there was something peculiar going on.’
‘That would have been more or less immediately,’
Fermindor said. ‘You couldn’t have done that. No team leader could.’
‘It was already too late anyway,’ the Doctor said matter-of-factly. ‘Once you started there was no going back.’
Leela was beginning to feel the effects of the fight and a combination of shock and suddenly aching bruises was making her tense. ‘If you had listened to the Doctor you could have avoided that battle, she said.
‘And Sozerdor would still be alive,’ Kley said. ‘That is what you’re thinking, isn’t it?’
‘No,’ Leela said, not very convincingly. ‘Nothing is achieved by thinking such things. The lesson to be learned is that the Doctor is a clever shaman whose advice is usually worth listening to.’
‘Shaman?’ Belay said.
‘I admit it. I am a bit of a showman,’ the Doctor said quickly, ‘and that does sometimes make it difficult for people to take me seriously.’
‘We’re ready to listen to you now,’ Fermindor said. ‘Isn’t that right, Chief?’
Kley nodded tiredly. She seemed ready to listen to anything or anyone. Just so long as she didn’t have to think any more. ‘So what is your advice, The?’
‘Be with you in a moment,’ the Doctor said.
The Doctor clambered up over the rocks to the access shaft and looked down it again. As he expected, the visible section was getting narrower. He reached in and felt the side.
It was soft to the touch, and warm. Too late to use this as an access route. He climbed back down to where the others were waiting.
‘What do you suggest we do now?’ Kley asked.
‘Nothing,’ he said.
‘Well that was worth waiting for,’ Rinandor commented, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
‘I suggest,’ he continued imperturbably, ‘we find somewhere in the shade and we make ourselves comfortable and sit and wait for something