Doctor Who_ Sleepy - Kate Orman [101]
‘Yes. Have you tried extracting the memories she’s carrying?’
‘Not yet, but we’re hoping to get everyone to help us build the databank. I think they will.’
The Doctor nodded. ‘Just don’t tell anyone where you got the technology.’ Cinnabar grinned at him. ‘You know you’ll never be able to reassemble SLEEPY just from the memories which survived. Humpty Dumpty will have to stay in pieces.’
‘We know that,’ said Cinnabar. ‘But we’re hoping to get a better picture of who he was by putting together what jigsaw pieces we do have.’ She crossed her arms. ‘I don’t really understand it, myself. Byerley can’t describe the things he remembers. None of them can.’
‘They’re computer memories,’ said the Doctor.
‘It’s not really that. Computers I understand. What I don’t understand is why this computer was so important.’ She hugged herself. ‘You know, in the whole time we were waiting for that ship to come and kill us, the moment at which I was most afraid was when Byerley ran with that mob to get Roz.
When she threw the grenade. And I thought, what have they turned into?’
‘SLEEPY died to save them. I think it thought of the people who were carrying its memories as its children. I suppose in a sense they are.’
Cinn shook her head. ‘I don’t really understand that either.’
The Doctor tugged at a loose thread on her jumper. ‘I’ll see you later,’ he said.
‘You bet,’ said the cyberneticist, her face lighting up in a grin.
‘Hold still!’ said Benny. ‘And quit squirming.’
Roz glowered at herself in the full-length mirror, gritting her teeth on her cigar. She turned her head back to look at Benny, who was biting her lip in concentration. ‘Right,’ said the archaeologist. ‘Hold on to your potatoes.’
She slipped off her high heel, planted her foot on Roz’s backside, grabbed hold of the corset ties and pulled.
Forrester’s breath whooshed out of her in a cloud of smoke. ‘Is this really necessary?’ she wheezed, as Benny tied knots up and down her back.
‘Be thankful you don’t have to wear one of these every day,’ said Benny. ‘Once a lifetime won’t damage you, but repeated use over a long period of time can be hazardous to your health.’
‘I can see why,’ managed Roz, dragging on the cigar.
She looked Benny up and down. ‘Maybe I should switch to something more like yours.’
Benny shook her head. ‘If you came to the wedding in the same frock as me, I’d have to kill you.’
It took Forrester a moment to realize it was a joke. She flashed one of her rare smiles, plucking the cheroot out of her mouth. ‘There can’t be another dress like that in personspace.’
‘And I should hope not. Now, let’s see about that crinoline.’
‘This doesn’t feel right,’ said Roz, peering at herself in the mirror.
‘It’s supposed to be that tight.’
‘No,’ said Forrester, ‘Partying. Having a celebration.’
‘We’ve earned it,’ said Benny firmly, rummaging through a trunk. ‘The Yemayans have a lot to celebrate. Still being alive, for one thing.’ She looked up at the older woman. ‘Do you feel bad about SLEEPY?’
‘Not at all,’ said Roz. She looked at the gown hanging up beside the mirror. ‘I guess sometimes it’s hard to go from guns to frocks so quickly, you know?’
Benny grinned at her. ‘My dear Roslyn, frocks are the purpose of life.’ She twirled, her skirt flying out around her, grabbing at her hat. ‘Frocks are what it is all about. Do try to remember that.’
‘What?’
‘Never mind. Ask me again once I’m drunk.’
The Doctor sat alone on a hill, looking down at the colony.
The development plan was nearly a month behind. They were hard at work: in the fields, rebuilding the dome that had burned down, getting the hydroponics up and running again.
Further away, beating out the last patches of the forest fire.
And sometimes he felt like an old man watching his grandchildren at work and play. And sometimes he imagined just falling asleep one day, on some peaceful hill overlooking some peaceful meadow, some echoing green. Just falling asleep and being found a little later