Doctor Who_ Match of the Day - Chris Boucher [58]
„You can‟t fight a computer malfunction,‟ the pilot was saying. „Makes it more important to protect yourself when you can protect yourself.‟
„How soon can you get me on board the Ultraviolet Explorer?’ Keefer asked.
The driver who had kidnapped her and the Doctor when they first left the Court of Attack lock-up was called Nenron, and Leela had found him to be eager to do anything she asked of him. He could not be persuaded that, as she was a warrior, she would never have killed him just because he offended her dignity, and so he clearly felt he owed her his life. He was also grateful, so he said, for the training she was giving his son, Benron. As far as he was concerned she had spared his own life and was protecting the life of Benron, and whatever he could do for her was small by comparison and was never enough.
„I could buy you an open cash ticket to anywhere in the high deep,‟ he said. „No eyes, no whys. And you wouldn‟t need to go near „Space Main unless you needed to use it. Let me at least go and do that for you?‟
„No eyes, no whys?‟ Leela asked, puzzled.
„No name. No ID. Nothing on the ticket to identify you in advance.‟
They were sitting in the runner that Nenron had borrowed for the day but he made no move to start it and take Leela to the spaceport as she had asked.
„I wish to visit Aerospace Main myself,‟ Leela said. „There are other things I want to find out about. It is not just the Hakai Orbital Station.‟
„I can find out about them for you,‟ he urged. „What are these things? I‟ll find out whatever you want to know. Just tell me. Give me a list.‟
Leela still did not entirely trust Nenron despite his eagerness to please. Or maybe it was because of that. „They are private matters,‟ she said flatly.
„Well they won‟t be private for long,‟ Nenron said. „Not if you turn up at „Space Main asking about one-way tickets out and whatever else it is you think you can keep to yourself in front of a scuffling great crowd.‟
„Did you get me the likeness you promised?‟ Leela asked.
„The likeness?‟
„You said it would be no problem for you with your connections at the Court of Attack.‟
„The likeness. Yes. Yes I got it for you.‟ He fished around in one of the runner‟s utility boxes. „It was harder than I expected,‟ he said. „For an up-and-comer, there was nothing much about him. It was almost like he didn‟t exist.‟ He finally found what he was looking for and handed the small holographic picture back to her. „I had to call in a few favours and I finally got it from the First Kill Archive. He was registered, but that was the only place. What was he, a friend or something?‟
Leela looked at the picture of Keefer. He was half smiling and his eyes were watchful, even as he posed for what was obviously some sort of official picture. „You speak of him as if he was a dead man,‟ she said, as she put the picture in her combat pouch.
„Something‟s happened to him,‟ Nenron said. „You know what they say: register your first win and there‟s no going back. Sooner or later someone‟s going to come for you. Looks to me like someone came for him.‟ He started the runner‟s drive and began to program the inboard links. „This is such a bad idea,‟ he muttered, „but if it‟s what you want then I‟ll get you there some way...‟
„Why should there be a crowd?‟ Leela asked.
„Because you‟re Leela.‟
„I know who I am,‟ Leela said.
Nenron nodded. „So does everyone else.‟
„That does not mean there will be a crowd,‟ Leela said. She looked out through the runner window at the empty street. „I am here. There is no crowd out there.‟
Nenron turned to look at her. „You‟re not serious.‟
Leela frowned. „There is no crowd out there,‟ she repeated.
She opened the runner door and got out. She walked round the runner, pausing a couple of times to wave in all directions and then she got back in again. „You see,‟ she said.
„There is no crowd out there.‟
„You don‟t know about it do you?‟ Nenron said. „Your agent hasn‟t told you. This whole area has been cordoned off. He hired security and set up checkpoints.