Doctor Who_ Prime Time - Mike Tucker [18]
The driver nodded. ‘Every one of ‘em. Obsessed they are.
Do everything through the box, they do, shopping, work, everything. Some of them never leave the house.’
Ace shook her head. ‘But that’s stupid.’
‘Don’t I know it, love, but it left plenty of work for the rest of us. When the farmers stopped there was nearly a major disaster out on the rim. Not enough crops getting out. There’s been a provisional government running Blinni-Gaar for nearly five years now, they pay good credits for offworlders to keep the place going.’
‘And you’re not obsessed by the television programmes?’
The Doctor stared pointedly at the screen on the dashboard.
The driver laughed. ‘Nah, not really, but the footy’s good.’
On the screen Ace could see two enormous amoebas grappling with a glowing ball of light.
‘Go on son, get a pseudopod in.’ The driver grinned at them. ‘Good, innit?’
Ace glanced over at the Doctor. His face was hidden in the shadows but Ace could see that he was worried.
The cab pulled into a leafy suburban street, lit by soft yellow light and the ever-present monitor screens.
The Doctor and Ace bundled out of the back, huddling under the umbrella as the Doctor paid the fare. He thrust a squashy, rubbery note into the driver’s hand.
‘Keep the change.’
‘From a five Zaggan note? Thank you, guv!’
With a hiss of spray the hovercab powered off into the night.
Ace stared around her. The wide street was bordered with elegant tower blocks, sculpted trees stretching through winding gardens. The sound of the rain was almost drowned by the chatter of a thousand television sets from a thousand windows.
Ace shivered and hugged the Doctor’s arm.
‘What are we doing here, Professor? Why can’t we just get back to the TARDIS?’
The Doctor peered around at the identical buildings. ‘The TARDIS could attract undue attention, and we seem to have enough of that already. I’ve found a local family who do board and breakfast. They seemed quite keen to look after us for a couple of days.’
Ace nodded. ‘What magnificent cover story do we have this time? Doctor John Smith showing his ward the wonders of the universe again?’
The Doctor looked hurt. ‘Certainly not! I thought that given the preponderance of television we might have more glamorous alibis. I’ve told the landlady that I am about to start a new alternative comedy show at the studios.’
Ace stifled a laugh. ‘Alternative comedy. Right, Professor.’
‘You’re a presenter for a new line of children’s programmes.’ The Doctor waggled his hands at her. ‘You can impress them with your Blue Peter badges.’
He squinted through the rain at a street sign. ‘Aha, this is the one. Come along, Ace, it’s getting far too wet out here.’
They crossed the street and the Doctor rapped on a door with his umbrella handle. There was an excited babble of voices from inside and a tall Blinnati woman appeared in the doorway.
The Doctor raised his hat. ‘Good evening. Mrs Rooth, I presume? I believe you are expecting us.’
Barely able to contain her excitement, Mrs Rooth ushered t hem inside.
Across the street, in the shadows of a garage block, Barrock watched as the door slid shut. He bared his teeth in satisfaction. Now he had somewhere to keep them under observation and could stop this endless skulking in doorways and alleyways.
He turned and loped back through the lamplit street to the edge of the woodland. The rest of his pack crouched in the undergrowth, their wet fur dripping.
They looked at him with eager, bright eyes.
‘We kill them, now, Barrock?’
Barrock snarled. ‘Not them. I told you, not until they say.’
He stared through the trees at the twinkling lights of the city.
‘But I here is other prey.’
His blunt snout broke into a wide jagged smile.
‘How hungry are we?’
Chapter Five
Ace slumped on to the bunk bed and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the babble of voices from the dozens of television sets that were scattered through the house. She groaned as she realised that some of the noise emanated from a small set in the footboard of the bed. Was there nowhere on this planet that