Doctor Who_ Nightshade - Mark Gatiss [47]
control room. A deafening chatter of machinery and There were people emerging from the pub. The two men computer printouts seeped from under the door. The Doctor gripped the car for support and took great gulps of air.
paused on the threshold.
Trevithick wandered up to them, feeling his exposed chest
‘Now, Robin. Circumstances like these demand tact and where the mandible had seared the skin.
patience. Understand?’
‘Did you see it? Did you?’ he begged.
Robin nodded dumbly, then the Doctor barged through Lowcock turned his pale face to the old man. He looked the door, doffed his hat and said, ‘Good evening, I’m the confused and frightened.
Doctor. Hello, Ace. Having trouble?’
‘We couldn’t get out of the village. Couldn’t get out...’
Robin didn’t think much of the Doctor’s ideas on diplomacy.
The Doctor approached the perimeter fence with Robin Cooper and Hawthorne barely looked up from their work.
scurrying behind him.
Vijay looked at the Doctor in blank astonishment.
‘What happened to him, Doctor? What’s going on?’
‘Come in! Come in!’ called Hawthorne. ‘The more the The Doctor waved his hand airily. ‘I don’t know, I don’t merrier!’
know. We must find Ace. Make sure she’s all right.’
‘Your friend, I presume?’ Cooper looked up from stabbing Robin eyed the squat grey box which controlled the a row of buttons. Ace ran to the Doctor and gave him a hug security system. The red light winked in the darkness.
of welcome.
‘You need a special key to get in there,’ said Robin.
‘Are you all right, Ace?’ he said, furrowing his brow. She The Doctor looked at him impatiently, prised off the front nodded and smiled. Robin hung awkwardly to one side and of the box, re-threaded two blue wires, pulled out a third then offered his hand in greeting.
132
133
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
DOCTOR WHO: NIGHTSHADE
‘Hello again.’
Vijay didn’t have to consult his figures. ‘It’s the Bellatrix
‘Hi.’
double in Orion 24. We’ve been monitoring the whole They grinned at each other and looked at the floor constellation for four weeks now.’
simultaneously.
‘But the other signals are completely different,’ continued Ace was reminded a little of Mike, the young man who Cooper. ‘Just a stream of nonsense. It can’t be coming from had wooed her and, ultimately, betrayed her in their battle Bellatrix.’
against the Daleks. Robin had the same cheeky smile, the
‘Possibly not, possibly not,’ mused the Doctor. He looked same sort of piercing eyes, although green rather than blue.
about the room, eyes flashing. Ace knew this expression.
There was also the suggestion of something dark about
‘He’s thinking,’ she said to Robin.
Robin, some indication of deep currents under the still The boy nodded. ‘I’m Robin, by the way.’
surface. Ace looked forward to exploring.
‘Ace.’ She looked at him inquisitively. ‘So... how did you The Doctor was already at one of the consoles and ripped meet up with the Doctor again?’
off a printout as it pooled at his feet. ‘White dwarf. Double.
‘I think you were supposed to meet him in the pub...?’
Hmm... you’ve got an exploding star on your hands.’
‘I got held up.’
‘Now look here...’ began Hawthorne.
‘Anyway,’ Robin continued, ‘my stepmum’s been taken ill
‘Oh shut up, Tom,’ barked Cooper. ‘We need all the help and the Doctor lent a hand.’
we can get just now. We know about the star, Doctor...’
‘I didn’t know he was that kind of Doctor,’ said Ace,
‘It’s a big one, isn’t it?’
grinning.
Cooper nodded. ‘It’s the only bit of solid information we Hawthorne was still looking daggers at the Doctor, have. It’s the rest of this stuff that doesn’t make sense.’
obviously displeased at the way the little stranger had The Doctor joined her by a row of display screens and insinuated himself into the proceedings.
gazed down at the fluctuating figures.
The clock which Holly had so patiently watched the
‘Massive energy levels of some kind.’
previous night ticked loudly to a quarter past ten. Once
‘It’s flooding the systems. We can’t cope with it. We can’t again, with startling