Doctor Who_ Prime Time - Mike Tucker [70]
The Doctor waggled the circuitry at him. ‘For the moment no one can hear us or see us. Now I just need to set up a loop in the memory chip. Sit down.’
The Master settled on one of the rocky outcrops, his blood-soaked handkerchief dropping to the ground. The Doctor scampered around him, squinting at various points around the cavern, peering along the length of his umbrella.
The Master swung around in irritation. ‘This is taking too long.’
‘Sit still!’ snapped the Doctor. ‘There’s only enough memory for this to work for a couple of seconds.’
He hopped up on to the rock next to the Master and snapped open his pocket watch. ‘Smile, you’re on candid camera.’
The Master grimaced at him.
‘Just look as though we’re talking, just for a few more seconds.’ The Doctor didn’t take his eyes from the read-out.
‘There!’ He sprang from the rock, thrusting the camera circuitry into his pocket. ‘A four-second loop on all camera circuits. Now all we need to do is find a way out of the cavern.
‘We might be able to arrange that.’ The rumbling voice rang through the cavern. The two Time Lords started.
All around them, crouched amongst the rocks, were the Zzinbriizi.
Saarl looked at Lukas in shock. ‘You’re off air, Vogol.’
Lukas was livid. In a blind rage he hurled his wine glass across the room. ‘Stupid halfwit of an animal! May he rot on that cess pit of a planet.’
Saarl stared at the purple face of his employer,‘Animal?’
‘Barrock! That mindless, cretinous, creature!’ Lukos kicked over a table, sending it tumbling across the floor.
‘Barrock? You did a deal with that Zzinbriizi animal?’
‘Those stinking creatures on Scrantek gave him intelligence, turned him into something that could be bargained with. All I did was make him a better offer.’ Lukos turned and bellowed at the static-filled screen. ‘But taking me off the air was not part of the plan!’
The Channel 400 continuity announcer was making smooth, unhurried apologies.
Auntie’s soft voice echoed through the room.
+AUDIENCE FIGURES FALLING. GOVERNOR
TREEB WISHES TO TALK TO YOU, MR LUKOS+
‘Tell Treeb he can rot in hell!’
Lukos turned on Saarl, hauling him to his feet. ‘I’m putting you back into the studio.’ He swept across the office, dragging the presenter behind him.
‘But what am I going to do?’ whimpered Saarl.
‘Anything!’ bellowed Lukos. ‘We’ll get the girl, do what you like with her, just get me that audience back!’
Lukos was panting with rage. Someone had upset his plan, and someone was going to suffer.
Saarl scurried after him. ‘She could break down completely if we keep going, Lukos.’
‘Then break her! Tear her apart in front of the baying masses... Auntie!’
+YES, MR LUKOS+
‘’Tell them to prepare the studio. We’re coming down!’
Ace clambered to the top of the rope, hauling herself through the shattered remains of the skylight.
Gatti grinned at her. ‘Thought I’d forgotten you?’
‘Well, I did have my doubts.’
Breame clapped his hands in glee. ‘Capital, absolutely capital.’
Ace looked quizzically at Gatti. ‘We seemed to have gained an unexpected ally.’
Gatti nodded. ‘I persuaded him to help. He told me all about Trasker. She’s been working for Channel 400 all along, Ace.’
‘And believe me, the bitch is going to regret that.’ Ace reached for the piton gun.
Gatti caught her hand. ‘Ace, I saw what they did to you, your mother, your gravestone...’
‘Later, Gatti.’ Ace took the piton gun from her. ‘We’ve got more important things to do.’
She looked around. They were on a balcony. She could see the roofs of the studio buildings and, further in the distance, the lights of the city. On the other side of a huge picture window that opened on to the balcony there was a long high room filled with tables. Ace stepped through the window. A bar stretched along one side of the room.
‘Where the hell are we, the Queen Vic?’
Breame danced over to her side. ‘Beautiful isn’t it? No one has the time to come up here and look any more. All far too busy with deadlines and schedules.’ He coughed. ‘Though the docking of wages for every minute spent up here may