Doctor Who_ Psi-Ence Fiction - Chris Boucher [80]
Professor Finer is rich?' the Doctor asked.
Developmental engineering is up to its yin-yangs in funding. And his private fortune is gross apparently. It could feed half of sub-Saharan Africa.'
That's why you don't like him?'
It's him that doesn't like me, as it happens.' Barry scowled. Wait a minute, wait a minute. Why am I answering your questions?'
Why wouldn't you?' The Doctor smiled and lowered his voice slightly. 'Have you got something to hide?'
What business of yours would it be if I had?' Barry demanded loudly. 'I don't know you from a hole in the ground. Don't think I haven't noticed that you managed to avoid saying who you are and what it is you want.'
You can trust me, I'm not rich,' the Doctor said. 'I'm here to help.'
Thanks,' Barry said, sounding less than grateful, 'but it's a bit late for that.'
The Doctor was not smiling. No,' he contradicted flatly, 'we can still save the situation. Or if we can't,' he gave a small shrug, then there'll be no situation to save.'
Barry said, 'Now you're saying you think it's not too late to save my job?'Was it possible, he wondered, that this strange person might really be in a position to help him? To help him do what exactly? He'd already said that the Kellerfield Foundation didn't listen to him.
'It's more important than saving your job I'm afraid,' the Doctor said seriously. 'It's more a question of saving your world and all its possible time lines.'
Barry's heart sank. The man was insane. 'Right; he said, hoping his tone of voice was noncommittal but supportive.
'I'm fairly sure,' the Doctor went on, 'that if we fail to do it then the universe and all its alternates will disappear too.'
Why now? Barry thought tiredly. I don't have the energy for this. 'What would that leave?' he asked.
'I'm not entirely sure,' the Doctor said. 'Chaos, infinite darkness possibly.
Nothing, I suspect. It may be that the original singularity will disappear and existence will cease to exist or to have existed. It won't be the end of everything because there will have been no beginning. It could happen at any moment. We wouldn't know about it, of course. It's the definition of death.'
Barry sighed. 'What are you on?'
'On?'
'Medication?'
'Oh, not you as well,' the Doctor complained. 'I assure you I am not mad. A little unfocused perhaps. But that's to be expected. In theory the fluctuating field effect from a multiverse overlap will do that to a vulnerable mind. I'm forced to the conclusion that I may have such a mind.'
Barry stared at him. He was a little out there, but apart from the X Files gobbledegook he seemed almost reasonable. He might be mad but he certainly wasn't stupid. 'There's no chance that you've taken something recreational?'
'Recreational? You mean drugs?' The Doctor shook his head dismissively.
'I enjoy trying to understand things. The interface between the brain and reality is too fragile to tamper with deliberately'
'You can't think of anything you might have taken that could have affected your brain chemistry?'
'Nothing that I'm aware of,' the Doctor said. 'Except possibly this.' From his coat pocket he took a bottle of Clearspring water. 'While I examine these tapes of yours perhaps you could do me a favour?'
While I examine these tapes of yours - am I going to let a madman play with the tapes? Barry thought. Why not what do I care? Serves them right.
'In return for saving the universe,' he said. 'How could I refuse?'
The Doctor brandished the bottle. 'The Clearspring Water Company have been giving these away on campus for some time. We need a chemical analysis of the contents and all the information we can find on the company itself.'
Barry took the bottle and examined it. 'I can do that,' he said without much enthusiasm. It was one thing to humour the guy, it was quite another