Doctor Who_ Sleepy - Kate Orman [94]
Chesinen didn’t say anything.
The woman reached down and grabbed her by the collar of her uniform.
The lieutenant ducked and spun, breaking out of the grip with ease. Her blaster was in her hand before she even thought about it.
‘That’s it, you animal,’ said the woman, brandishing the shovel. ‘You’re just nothing without your big gun, aren’t you?
Without your troops to back you up?’
‘For God’s sake!’ shouted Benny, close by. ‘Put those weapons down! This isn’t a bloody playground; we have work to do!’
The two women didn’t take their eyes off each other.
Chesinen tossed her blaster to one side. The Mabgwe woman turned the shovel and pushed it into the ground.
‘That’s better,’ said Benny. ‘We can worry about who did what later. Right now we—’
Mabgwe threw a punch at Chesinen, who stepped aside, dropping into a martial arts stance. The larger woman yelled and ran at her. The lieutenant didn’t quite manage to get out of the way in time.
There was an electric squeal so intense and loud that both of them shouted, scrabbling at their ears. It shut off, leaving the air ringing. Benny took the opportunity to push them apart.
Dot stood over them, waiting for her translation drone to reset itself. There was a small girl standing next to her.
«That’s enough,» she signed. «You can kill one another if you’re still both alive in three hours.»
Mabgwe got to her feet, her face tight with rage. On the ground, Chesinen said, ‘I’m trying to save your life.’
The older woman turned her back and stalked back to the colonists. Chesinen rolled over and scowled at Munoru, who was still sitting where he had been, his blaster in his lap.
He shrugged at her.
Benny put the fingertips of one hand on her chin and flipped her hand down. Dot returned her smile. «You’re welcome,» she signed.
‘What do you remember about me?’ SLEEPY asked Chris.
‘I remember you screaming in my head until I thought my brain was going to melt,’ said the Adjudicator. ‘I remember not knowing what you were, and waiting for you to come and kill me. Wanting you to come and kill me.’
‘Oh,’ said the computer.
Chris was sitting in the Doctor’s shuttle. He peered through the window. The Time Lord was talking to Ngaiyo, turning some piece of machinery around in his hands. Last-minute stuff. They were really up against the line here.
SLEEPY was talking to him through the shuttle’s radio.
The thing was everywhere, like the deity he’d mistaken it for.
It had shrunk so much, from god to manipulator to plaintive creature crying for their help.
He’d remember that, the next time he met a Turtle.
‘Do you think I deserve to live?’ said SLEEPY.
‘Hell,’ said Chris. ‘Don’t ask me questions like that.’
‘No, really,’ said the computer.
‘In case you hadn’t noticed, we’re risking our lives to save you here.’
‘That doesn’t answer my question. You’re doing what the Doctor tells you to do.’
‘Well, he obviously thinks you deserve to live.’
‘But do you?’
Chris leant forward until his forehead was resting on the control panel. ‘Yes,’ he whispered. ‘I’ll do anything to keep you alive.’
‘I love you,’ said SLEEPY’s voice, soft in his ear.
‘I know,’ said Chris.
Behind him, someone coughed. He jerked back and turned around. ‘Roz!’ he said. ‘Where’ve you been?’
‘Locking the colonists into the TARDIS. After that, thinking.’
‘Hello,’ said SLEEPY. Forrester sat down in the back of the shuttle. Her face was composed. ‘Hello?’
The Doctor hopped up into the shuttle. Ngaiyo followed.
‘All aboard!’ said the Time Lord. He grinned at Chris. ‘Back to the shuttle, Jeeves.’
The door hissed shut. ‘Doctor,’ said SLEEPY, as they lifted into the air, ‘do you think this is going to work?’
‘If it doesn’t,’ said the Doctor, ‘we still have a few cards up our collective sleeve.’
Lieutenant Seketo said, ‘You know, I think we’re in trouble.’
‘It’s not just the blast, is it?’ said Munoru. ‘It’s the virus.’
‘The new virus,’ said Seketo. ‘The cure.’
‘It’s switched off the colonists’ psi powers.’
‘I think it’s