Doctor Who_ Original Sin - Andy Lane [97]
‘Martle,’ the bot said. ‘You wish to redeem yourself in my eyes. Kill her.’
164
Forrester raised her eyebrows and looked over at her partner, inviting him to share her amazement at the audacity of the bot. Her partner, who had saved her life five times that she could count. Her partner, with whom she had shared moments, memories, laughs and tears. Her partner, who was pulling a small but lethal needle out from a concealed holster.
‘Roz, I’m sorry,’ he murmured, raising the gun.
And the Falardi’s claw carved its way up his spine with a thunk that she would hear for ever.
His hand, on the trigger.
The Falardi’s claw carved its way –
The look in his eye.
Thunk!
She flicked her hand, sending the vibroknife spinning through the air towards Martle. It caught him in his right eye, sending him spinning backwards, screaming, the needle dropping from his spasming hand, falling to the floor just before his body hit the wall.
Thunk.
She stood, as still as a statue, seeing the blood but somehow not understanding it. A numb feeling crept over her body, as if she had been wrapped in cotton wool and insulated from the world. Shock? Was she in shock? She couldn’t move her legs. She couldn’t even blink.
The bot walked between her and Martle’s body. It was holding a small stunner, and she suddenly recognized the feeling from training sessions on Ponten IV She had been stunned, and shortly, she guessed, she would be dead.
‘Thank you, my dear,’ it said. ‘You have done my dirty work for me, but provided me with a problem. One dead Adjudicator I could account for, with Adjudicator Secular Rashid’s help, but two would raise eyebrows back on Ponten IV. No, I think that the easiest solution will be to wipe your memory of our meeting and implant a new version of events. An alien, I think, killing your partner and escaping while you tried to save his life. That way you all get to be heroes, and I remain safe.’ It walked closer, its impassive metal face radiating sardonic good humour. ‘There are people down in the Undertown who are experts at that sort of thing. It’s the best course of action. I’m sure that, given the choice, you would agree with me.’
The bot raised the stunner.
The last thing she could remember seeing was Martle’s blood pooling beneath his head and the first thing she saw when the lid of the time tank opened was Chris Cwej smiling down at her. His skin was pink and new. And furless, apart from a fuzz of golden hair across his scalp.
‘Hey, Roz,’ he said tenderly.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked.
165
‘I’m fine,’ he said, placing an arm beneath her shoulders and easing her upright. ‘I feel like I’ve slept for a month. Probably have: all the beppled cells have been replaced. I’m me again. But what about you? How do you . . . how do you feel?’
Forrester turned her attention inwards. The memories were there, as they always had been. She accepted them. She knew they were true.
Oh, Fenn. I loved you. I loved you.
‘Like shit,’ she said. ‘Nothing changes.’
166
Chapter 12
‘I’m . . . ah, I’m Shythe Shahid, speaking to you live from the . . . the smouldering wreckage of the Empire Today studio. Yesterday the riots that are slowly but surely engulfing the Earth claimed us: today it might be your turn. What is happening to this planet? Sources close to the Empress have told The Empire Today that she is close to declaring a state of emergency. We’ll keep you posted. Keep watching . . . ’
Being inside the alien ship was like being inside the stomach of a living creature.
The walls of the hangar into which the Moorglade had been dragged seemed to have been formed