Doctor Who_ The Bodysnatchers - Mark Morris [63]
When the tea was ready, he carried it across to the console on a tray, where Tuval was peering raptly at the time rotor.
'What do you think?' the Doctor asked.
Tuval looked at him, blinking as though roused from sleep. 'Intriguing technology.'The Zygon referred to what appeared to be nothing more than a rock inset with hundreds of tiny glittering crystals that it held in the palm of its hand.The crystals were changing colour constantly in apparently random patterns. 'Many of these materials appear inorganic, and yet my readings indicate an unknown organic component present in each separate structure, which therefore seems to indicate an organic uniformity, not entirely unlike our own technology.'
'Really?' said the Doctor, as if this was news to him.
'Furthermore, I am picking up energy emissions which are... structured but nonrepetitive. Incredibly complex.'
'Like thought patterns, do you mean?' asked the Doctor innocently, and nodded. 'Yes, the old girl has always been a deep thinker.'
'Your craft is alive?' said Tuval, astonished.
'In a sense,' said the Doctor. 'It's an inevitable consequence when technology gets pushed beyond a certain barrier. After all, Tuval, what are you and I but organic machines?' Picking up a cup from the tray, he offered it to the Zygon scientist.'Drink up before it gets cold.'
Tuval eyed the cup suspiciously. 'What is this?'
'Tea,' said the Doctor. 'It's a liquid refreshment, native to this planet. Surely you've come across it before? How long have you been here?'
'By the time scale of this planet, almost three centuries. But this is the first time I have been outside our craft.'
'What? Three hundred years without a works outing? You ought to have a word with your shop steward.'
Tuval frowned.'I'm afraid I do not understand your Time Lord humour.'
'Yes, a lot of people have the same problem,' said the Doctor with a sigh, and put Tuval's cup down on the console. 'I'll just leave it here, shall I? You drink it if you feel like it.There's cake on the plate if you want some. Bit dry, though, I'm afraid.'
T do not understand why you are being pleasant to me, Doctor.'
The Doctor shrugged.'Well, it's just the way I am.' He took a sip of his tea.
'Tell me,Tuval, what's your story? What are your people doing on this planet?'
Tuval looked thoughtful for a moment, as if unsure whether to answer the Doctor's question. Then the Zygon said, 'Five centuries ago, our home planet, Zygor, was destroyed in a stellar explosion instigated by our enemies, the Xaranti. Since then we have become a nomadic race, searching the galaxies for new planets to colonise.Three centuries ago, a fleet of our craft were engaged on such a mission when we were ambushed by a Xaranti attack force. Most of our fleet was destroyed, but our craft, and perhaps others, was merely damaged and managed to crash-land on Earth. Since then we scientists have been working on ways of augmenting Zygon physiology and technology. Within the past two decades we have managed to create an effective breeding programme for our Skarasen. It has been a long, hard struggle with many failures, but now we are finally in a position to push forward our plan to eradicate humankind and then to alter the planet's ecology, turning it into a new Zygor.'
The Doctor looked glum.'I suppose by giving you myTARDIS I'll at least be saving the Earth from that fate, then.'
'What do you mean, Doctor?'
'Well, theTARDIS is plenty big enough for all your people. Once you have it, you'll be able to go away and leave Earth alone, find somewhere more appropriate to live, somewhere uninhabited where the ecology is already close to what you need.' He frowned. 'Why are you shaking your head like that,Tuval?'
'Forgive me, Doctor, but your words betray a lack of understanding of Zygon mentality. Once a Zygon warlord has decreed that its subordinates must follow a certain path, it is subsequendy