Doctor Who_ Storm Harvest - Mike Tucker [23]
Doffing his hat, the Doctor vanished into the foyer of the admin block, the man’s ID card clutched in one hand, some scissors and a tube of glue in the other.
The guard nodded as the Doctor entered the building. The Doctor smiled broadly. ‘Good morning.’ The ID card bleeped softly as he passed through the turnstiles.
‘Excuse me, sir.’
The Doctor’s heart sank as he heard the guard get up. He turned with his most innocent expression. ‘Yes?’
The guard took the ID from him and clipped it on to his lapel. ‘If you could wear your ID at all times while in the building.’
The Doctor beamed at him. ‘Of course. Silly of me.’
He trotted off down the corridor. As he rounded the corner he could hear heated voices from behind him.
‘But for heaven’s sake man, you see me come in here every day!’
‘I’m sorry Professor, but those are the rules. I can’t let you on the premises without a valid ID, unless you are signed in by somebody.’
With a pang of guilt the Doctor peered down at his stolen ID. The picture from his UNIT card was slipping. He readjusted it, getting glue all over his fingers. Wiping his hands on his handkerchief, he scuttled away.
The building was quiet. Most of the offices were still empty. The Doctor scampered down the stairs to the lower levels. Checking that no one was around he pulled a hairpin from his pocket and within moments an office door opened with a soft click. The Doctor slipped inside and settled himself in front of a computer terminal. He hit a key and the machine chattered into life.
‘Now then.’
42
His hands were a blur over the keyboard. He started his search with legends of the Krill and then began to expand it outward, accessing data from all over the colony.
He scribbled frantically in his diary, jotting down anything he could find about the Krill, noting with interest a big archaeological expedition currently based off the coast. He cross-referenced his data to the coastguard records. When the video files from the coastguard drone came up he stopped, leaning close to the screen, scrutinising every frame. Suddenly he heard something, a movement in the corridor. He quickly printed out all the data on the dig then, as an afterthought created a new ID card for himself – Dr John Smith, senior investigator for InterOceanic. Shutting the computer down, the Doctor slipped over to the door. There were scrapings outside it, and something else. A smell. The Doctor frowned.
Carefully he eased the door open and peered out into the gloomy corridor. The smell was harsh in his nostrils and he could hear laboured breathing. One of the shadows detached itself from the wall. The Doctor could hear it scraping along the corridor.
He tried to peer after it, but the door creaked sharply and the Shape gave a harsh growl and lumbered off.
The Doctor stepped out into the corridor and stared after the mysterious shadow. He was about to set off after it when a groan drifted through the doorway.
The Doctor stepped through the door, flicking the lights on. He was in a lecture room, ranks of seats surrounding him in an elegant semicircle. A middle-aged woman was struggling to her feet. The Doctor hurried over to her.
‘Let me help.’ He caught her arm as she staggered, and led her over to one of the chairs. She slumped into it, clutching at her head. The Doctor brushed her hand away and made a quick examination of her scalp.
‘The skin’s not broken, but you’re going to have quite a lump.’ He took a glass from the lectern and filled it with water. Pulling his handkerchief from his pocket he dipped it in the water and pressed the cloth to the back of the woman’s head. She winced. ‘Thank you, Mr...’
‘Doctor.’ The Doctor beamed at her. ‘Doctor John Smith, Senior Investigator, InterOceanic.’
‘Brenda Mulholland, colony co-ordinator.’ Brenda held her hand out and the Doctor shook it vigorously
‘Who did this to you?’
Brenda shook her head. ‘I didn’t see...’
The door to the lecture room suddenly pushed open.
43
‘Brenda?’
She looked up. ‘Phillip...’
The big man crossed to