Doctor Who_ Sleepy - Kate Orman [22]
‘In getting rid of the virus, I got rid of all the memory RNA.’
‘Well, can’t you... remember remembering?’
‘No. It’s like forgetting a phone number that you dial all the time.’ Roz looked at him blankly. ‘Or when you forget the date of someone’s birthday, even though you’ve known them for years. We’re just lucky I was the only one to get the booby prize. A human might have been left with gaps where their own memories had been overwritten.’
‘And then,’ said Roz, ‘there’s you. Nine-tenths below the surface.’
He frowned, his eyes unfocusing as he gazed off into the trees.
‘No.’
He looked up at her with a start. ‘What?’
‘You’re thinking, “I should reinfect myself with a few strains of the virus. See what comes up.” If you as much as think about it, I’ll lock you in the TARDIS myself.’
He looked at her with such intensity that she found herself blinking. ‘Roz,’ he said, ‘how did you know what I was thinking?’
She burst out laughing. ‘I just know how you think!
Nothing gets between you and what you want to find out.’
He blew out a relieved breath. ‘I wasn’t that worried,’ he murmured. ‘Few human telepaths can get past the shields into a Time Lord’s mind. But your mind, on the other hand...’
Roz nodded. I’ve been thinking about that. I don’t want anybody rummaging about in my head, even accidentally.
And I’m sure Benny and Chris will be thinking the same thing, so to speak. Can we do anything about it?’
‘I may have to cobble together a few psi dampeners. But these people don’t have a clue how to use their powers. At most, they’ll pick up the odd stray thought. Anyway, to a telepath, dampening fields sound like you’re buzzing all the time.’
They grinned at one another.
‘I’m serious about locking you in the TARDIS,’ said Roz.
‘I believe you.’
‘First rule of first aid. Don’t become a casualty yourself.
Doesn’t it piss you off?’
‘Being threatened with abduction by my own companions?’
‘Having someone muck about with your head.’ She raised her voice. ‘They have no right to do that to you — or anyone else here.’
The Doctor put a hand on her arm. ‘This really disturbs you, doesn’t it?’
‘You bet it does,’ she said furiously. ‘You hang onto your beliefs, you hang onto yourself, then someone comes up with a way to change all that. With a sodding cold germ!’ He patted her arm, gingerly. ‘Do you ever get used to it?’
‘Getting taken over?’ He laughed shortly. ‘Business as usual. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last millennium or so, it’s how to stay myself. You have to be able to do that when your face could be different tomorrow.’ He fingered the end of his paisley scarf. ‘That’s one reason I like to wear roughly the same clothes, you know. It gives me a bit of stability. A bit of control.’
Roz threw away her stick. ‘I wish there was something more tangible to fight. Chris and I have been feeling surplus to requirements. We can’t arrest a bug.’
‘I know how you feel. You can’t out-think a virus, either.’
‘Doctor?’
‘Yes?’
‘Did you really accidentally stick yourself with that needle?’
‘Yes, of course. I couldn’t have known the virus would affect me in any way. Don’t worry, Roz, it was just a stupid accident. I’m not about to use myself as a guinea-pig.’
They had come out of the forest again. Across the fields, the Yemayans were still arguing.
‘What do you suppose they’ll decide to do?’ asked Roz.
‘Byerley will explain that there’s no danger of infection, and that no-one else will develop powers. I doubt it’ll make much difference. They’ll either find a way to stick together, or they’ll find a way to fall apart.’
Benny was lying in the grass, very still. From time to time, her lips moved.
‘A-ha!’ she said, out loud.
Zaniwe crunched through the undergrowth, sat down on the step next to where she was lying. ‘What have you got?’
Benny sat up, stretching her kinked muscles, and leaned back against the stone. Zaniwe leaned over to see her notes: precise copies of the tiny symbols. ‘I don’t think anyone was supposed to see these,’ she said.
‘Whoever wrote them sure didn