Doctor Who_ Relative Dementias - Mark Michalowski [63]
“spaceship” –’ (she could hear the quote marks in his voice) ‘–
be a big domed thing?’
Ace noticed John, standing at her elbow, three mugs crammed into his hands and the room suddenly felt very small, very claustrophobic.
‘I’m not sure that’s how I’d describe it. But you’ve seen it?’
Ace asked John.
‘I did a dive down to it the other day,’ said John, setting the mugs on the table.
‘Did you manage to get inside it?’
‘Couldn’t find a way in,’ John said, almost conversationally, as he returned with a fat, brown teapot.
‘Well, I was lucky. I managed to find a way out.’
The homely sound of pouring tea was the only noise for a few moments. Then John gave a tired little laugh and rubbed his eyes. ‘So this is on the level, then?’
‘What?’
‘This thing, down on the seabed. It’s some sort of crashed Apollo thing, is it? And you’re what? The pilot? Are there any other crewmen – women – down there, then?’
Ace gave a sigh. She should have known that it was too good to be true. She reached out and picked up the object from the seat, a rough doughnut of grey metal with a sphere set in the cavity. She picked it up and saw John’s hand move out, as if to stop her. ‘Did you bring this up?’ she asked. The brothers’ eyes told her she’d guessed right. ‘Just look at it. Does it look like it was made on this planet? The ship is nothing to do with NASA
– it’s an alien spaceship.’
‘Who knows what sort of stuff NASA are dreaming up?’
John answered airily.
‘Whatever it is,’ Ace said,’it’s nothing like this. Look, if you don’t want to believe me, then fine. But don’t expect me to come up with another story just to make you happy. That thing down there isn’t from Earth. Believe me – I’ve seen enough of them to know.’
She set the object back down on the table and looked from one brother to the other.
‘Tell you what,’ John said. ‘Maybe I’ve got a better explanation.’
‘And what would that be?’
‘It wouldn’t have anything to do with the German wrecks, would it?’
‘Eh? What wrecks?’
‘The German shipwrecks,’ John repeated. ‘In the Scapa Flow
- from the Second World War.’
Ace shook her head blankly. What was he talking about?
‘So what happened?’ John sneered, obviously warming to the fact that he thought he’d got it all worked out now ‘You and your treasure-hunting mates panicked, did you? You were ransacking the ships and something went wrong? You shot up to the surface leaving them down there?’
‘Look,’ Ace said, shaking her head, losing patience. ‘I haven’t got a clue what you’re on about mate. If you want to think that I’ve just come up from some sunken German ship, then fine.
But if you’d just put your brain into gear for a sec, you’d be asking yourself about this thing-’ she jabbed her finger towards the object that John had brought up, ‘-and about this suit.’ She reached down and picked up the flimsy silver suit, dripping water onto her jeans. ‘And if you think that what you saw down there was some wrecked battleship, you must need your eyes testing.’
John grabbed his mug from the table and stood up. ‘You’re a right little Miss Know-it-all, aren’t you?’ he spat, and stormed off up the stairs.
Ace pulled an ‘Oh God, what have I said?’ face at Alexander, who shrugged back at her. They sat in silence for a few moments as Ace turned the metal device over and over in her hands. This must be some sort of record: she hadn’t been out of the water for five minutes and already she was making enemies – and without a Doctor in sight.
Joyce lay on her bed, desperately tired yet unable to sleep. Every time she dosed her eyes, the numbers came creeping back, sneaking into her head. And when she opened them again, she could see a whisper of them, dancing around the periphery of her vision, as if her brain couldn’t switch off properly. And Mum. What about Mum? A twinge of guilt grew in her chest as she realised that she really ought to be back at Graystairs, looking for her But she’d tried that, and