Doctor Who_ Sleepy - Kate Orman [88]
‘Is that what White thinks?’
‘I don’t think White thinks anything. I think he’s really lost it.
‘Is that why you’re helping me?’
She shook her head. ‘It just — I thought it was the right thing to do.’
‘But it’s not logical, you—’
‘You can’t make moral decisions just on logic.’ She got up. ‘Come on, let’s go and get it all organized, then.’
The lieutenants met in Dot’s office. They sat in a circle, pulling up chairs, still looking everywhere but at each other.
Ngaiyo said out loud, ‘Let’s link up.’
Chesinen shut her eyes, opening up the business compartment of her mind. The familiar white light rushed into her, rushed out of her, as they swapped memories and observations. She had quietly folded away the memories of what she’d been doing for the last few hours, where the others wouldn’t find them.
The contact faded after a few seconds. She looked around. The others were as disturbed as she was. Too short, too weak.
‘We’re still getting over that blast,’ said Lieutenant Seketo. Chesinen glanced at the young Maasai. She was no longer thinking about any of them by their colour tags. ‘It might be a while before we’re back up to speed.’
Ngaiyo nodded. ‘Did you all get the gist, though?’
Munoru said, ‘The colonists’ stories confirm what we got from the Doctor’s mind. Do you believe any of it?’
‘The Colonel does,’ said Ngaiyo. ‘Not me.’
Chesinen said, ‘You felt that thing.’ She looked them in the eyes. ‘We all felt it. It’s there. Whatever it is, it’s real. It won’t just go away if we pretend it’s not there.’
The older Maasai warrior made an angry sound, but Seketo said, ‘I’ll tell you what else won’t go away. That warship.’
Munoru said, ‘What the hell are we going to do?’
Chesinen said, ‘The Doctor has a plan.’
The others glanced at her. ‘Does he indeed,’ said Ngaiyo.
White was sitting in a chair in the infirmary. There was no-one else in the room, just the Colonel, propped up in the chair like a great doll.
Chesinen came in, saluted, clicked her heels. Made herself speak the word. ‘Sir?’
His voice was distant. ‘Where have you been? No, it doesn’t matter.’
‘What are your orders, sir?’ White shook his head slowly.
Chesinen waited. ‘Permission to speak freely, sir.’
He waved a hand at her.
‘Sir, I’d like to start moving the colonists out of the dome, and getting whoever we can to safety. Additionally, I’d like to mount an expedition to uncover the spacecraft buried in the forest. And finally, sir, I would like to send the Olpiron to intercept the incoming warship and to delay it for as long as possible.’
White looked up at her, startling her. He’d never actually looked at her before, not ever. His eyes were blue.
‘He’s wrapped you around his little finger, now, hasn’t he?’ said the Colonel softly.
‘Sir?’
‘Just like he’s had me. Wrapped. All along. Just when you think you’re in charge of something, just when you’re finally in control, someone comes along and takes it all away from you. And you don’t even know that they’re doing it.’
Chesinen waited patiently. Either he would give her permission to go ahead, or he wouldn’t, and she’d do it anyway.
‘Go on, then, lieutenant,’ he said. ‘Keep me apprised of your progress.’
Chesinen saluted. White looked back down at the desk.
‘Or rather,’ he muttered, ‘his progress.’
20 The Last Four Hours
Jenny was standing watch when the liberators came. There was no fanfare, no cheering: just a sudden silence in the dome, the children stopping their games, turning their eyes to the banging sound.
The Afrikaner found Zaniwe, asleep under a small pile of children, and shook her loose. ‘Something is happening,’ she said, unnecessarily. A small girl clung to Zaniwe’s legs as she got up. She kept on clinging as the two women walked towards the dome’s entrance. The sound was getting louder and louder. Zaniwe reached down to stroke her hair.
With a crash, the main entrance’s fused lock fell to the floor. Someone had used a laser torch to cut it right out of the wall. A moment