Doctor Who_ The Algebra of Ice - Lloyd Rose [27]
‘How are you doing?’
58
The Algebra of Ice
‘I’m dying,’ Ethan said shortly. ‘I’m already dead. This conversation is a post-death experience.’
The Doctor smiled cheerfully. ‘Sarcasm is always a sign of recovery.’
‘Seen a lot of recoveries, have you?’
‘Yes,’ the Doctor sighed. He took the chair beside Ace. ‘We’re going to get out of your life, Mr Amberglass.’
‘Forgive my scepticism.’
‘All right. We intend to get out of your life.’
‘But first. . . ?’
‘Just a couple of questions.’
‘Right,’ Ethan said tiredly. He folded his arms. ‘Fire away.’
‘During the experience last night, when your headache came on, was it only a headache?’
‘As opposed to what?’
‘You didn’t hear anything?’
‘You mean voices? Like when I’m nuts?’
‘No, no.’ The Doctor was apologetic. ‘Not at all. I mean, as if someone were trying to communicate with you.’
‘Like ESP?’
‘A bit.’
Ethan shook his head.
‘Hm.’ The Doctor tapped his chin with the handle of his umbrella.
‘Did you?’
‘Receive any communication? No.’
‘Look,’ said Ethan, ‘I really think I deserve to know. What’s happening? Is it aliens?’
‘Something like that.’
‘But I don’t believe in aliens,’ Ethan protested, almost plaintively.
‘Would you find it easier to believe that what happened last night was an earthly phenomenon?’
Ethan looked alarmed. ‘I’d prefer not to.’
‘Then what’s the alternative?’
There was a long pause.
‘You are going to get out of my life, aren’t you?’ Ethan said at last.
The Doctor stood up. ‘Now, as a matter of fact.’ He shook Ethan’s hand.
Ethan was surprised at how cold his hand was. ‘Thank you for all your help.
I’m sorry it got a bit nasty.’
‘Yeah,’ said Ace, ‘me too.’
Chapter Six
59
‘Oh,’ said the Doctor, just as they got to the door. ‘I should warn you. There’s a fellow down the hall who runs a webzine of weirdness. He might want to interview you. I’d avoid him.’
‘What does he look like?’
‘Oh you’ll know him. He’s missing a hand.’
As he and Ace left, the subject of this comment peered through his cracked door, watching them. Who else had the Doctor been visiting? But when Molecross started down the hall to investigate, an orderly intercepted him and returned him firmly to bed. And when he was able to sneak out again a few hours later, the room was empty.
In the TARDIS the Doctor ran himself through a number of medical scans. He found nothing out of the ordinary. Again, he sat with a cup of tea in the console room armchair, thinking. What exactly had happened to him? He’d had a feeling of awful, terrifying loss – if he were human, he’d have said his soul was being pulled out of him. Except. . . He shut his eyes for a moment. Except that wasn’t quite all. They had reached out to him, and something in him had responded. He’d wanted –
He shook his head briskly. Absurd. He had many quirks, but a death wish was not among them. No sense speculating on exactly what had gone on till he had more data. There were other puzzles to consider.
For instance, why, after the first failure, had they – or it – attempted to come through in the same spot? The boundaries between universes must be particularly permeable there. But that could hardly be the only place on the planet with thin walls. No, they particularly wanted to enter at this point, which implied. . . what? That there was something special they could only get here.
Some object? Something from UNIT? It was possible, even likely. And the third alternative was some one. An ally on this side.
Which would mean they needed help getting through. But it was clear from the experience he’d just been through that the others were so alien that they couldn’t even manifest to human senses. How could they communicate?
He sat up straight. A cold little rivulet ran down his spine.
Through the universal language, of course.
Through mathematics.
CHAPTER SEVEN
‘It’s not working, young Pat.’
‘I know that,’ Unwin snarled. ‘You don’t have to tell me that.’ He stared at his glass. Was this his third drink or his fourth? Quite a luxury getting drunk on Cognac. He tilted what remained