Doctor Who_ Match of the Day - Chris Boucher [108]
As she turned and watched him go Leela was struck by his speed and grace. There was no wasted energy in his actions.
He moved perfectly and precisely and there was something not quite human about it. But before Leela could think any more about what she was seeing, the man had disappeared through the doorway to be replaced by a familiar figure who had come striding in looking as though this was all familiar and expected. „Doctor,‟ she exclaimed.
„Ah, there you are,‟ the Doctor said and beamed at her.
Resisting the urge to rush over and embrace him, Leela said, „What are you doing here?‟ and thought even as she said it that it was a silly question.
„That would be a silly question,‟ the Doctor said, „but for the fact that I don‟t know.‟ He looked up at the woman in the High Referee‟s chair. „I think I‟m here because you sent for me. You are the Lady Hakai I assume?‟
„I am Hakai,‟ she said.
„You have been interfering in my life,‟ the Doctor said. „And the life of my young companion. Normally I would require an apology but I‟m prepared to overlook it this time. Leela? Shall we go?‟ He turned towards the doorway, which was immediately blocked by sabre-wielding hakai-warriors.
„You are here,‟ the woman said, „to negotiate formal terms for the duel between your fighter and a fighter I control.‟
„I negotiate with you?‟
Yes.‟
„Are you a member in good standing of the Guild of Agents?
Only I am a member you see and our policy is to discourage freelance operations. Are you freelance?‟
There was a pause. „What do you want for your fighter?‟
„What are you offering?‟
The woman sighed. Sounding bored she said, „Whatever you wish. You have only to name it.‟
„The voice and the hands and the mind. It‟s difficult to pretend they are young when they‟re not, isn‟t it?‟ the Doctor said amiably.
„What are you offering again?‟
„Name it.‟
The Doctor shook his head. „Not enough,‟ he said. „It‟s been a pleasure doing business with you but I‟m afraid we just can‟t agree. Fight‟s off. Perhaps another day, who knows?‟ He gestured towards the doorway. „Leela? Shall we go?‟
Once it was free of its brackets Keefer had no problem moving the machine in a reasonably controlled way and he took it with him as he went looking for the pseudo-grav generator.
He thought about hiding the corpses in the storage silo where he had been held but decided it was not worth the bother. It would take whoever they sent to check less time to find the dead hakai-warriors and the bits of crewman than it would have taken him to hide them in the first place.
Pulling from handhold to push point, with the machine behind or out in front of him, he searched the weightless utility zone for something that might possibly be the generator. Following scents and sounds he found the recycling system easily but the difficult thing about the pseudo-grav unit was that he had no idea what it might smell, sound or even look like. Somehow he doubted that it would have an identifying plate attached to it and form would not follow function, it wouldn‟t look like what it did, because he didn‟t know what it did. He knew the effect of what it did but that wasn‟t the same thing.
So what to do? Pick a unit at random? Use a process of elimination and pick a unit he didn‟t recognise as something else? His plan had been to use the machine to damage the pseudo-grav generator but as things were going he‟d probably end up just blocking the scuffling drains. He floated motionless at the edge of the ship‟s utility zone, looking at the haphazard maze of unattended machines while he tried to reason his way through the problem. He found himself wondering what Jerro would do.
Behind him the android said, „The Lady Hakai waits to see you.‟
Never be too proud to ask kid, the memory of Jerro Fanson murmured in his mind. You‟d be amazed what they‟ll tell you if they can‟t think of a reason not to.
Without turning round Keefer said, „Pseudo-grav