Doctor Who_ The Bodysnatchers - Mark Morris [87]
'What have I done?' he whispered, feeling as desolate as he could ever remember. He had washed his hands in the blood of his enemies many times in his past, had committed genocide on more than one occasion, and yet never could he remember having made such a monumental mistake before.
He could only stand and gape, and might have remained in that state for some considerable time, had he not sensed movement behind him. He turned to see Sam and Tuval emerging from the TARDIS. He could tell simply by the way they moved that Sam was in the lead.
He spun round, throwing his arms wide in the vain hope of concealing the terrible sight from them.'Don't come out here!' he shouted.
'Why not?' asked Sam, and then she recoiled, screwing up her face.'Christ, what a stink! I think I'm going to puke.'
Tuval was looking around, face blank and uncomprehending at first.Then, slowly, absolute horror dawned on the very human features that the Zygon was wearing.
'Tuval,' began the Doctor haltingly, 'I'm so sorry. Look, I didn't mean -'
'What have you done?' The words were jagged splinters of sound. 'You've murdered my people! You killed them all! You lied to me!'
'No.The Doctor shook his head.'No, this wasn't meant to happen.'
Sam had both hands pressed to her face. She looked as though she was trying to fight the urge to throw up. 'What's happened to them?' she moaned.
'Cellular breakdown,' said the Doctor in a hollow voice.'They must have reacted to some chemical in the anaesthetic. I never dreamed...'
'You killed them,'Tuval whispered.'You killed them.'
The stricken Zygon pressed its clenched fists to the side of its head and began to wail.
'I didn't mean to,' the Doctor said. His words were almost a plea. 'It was a terrible mistake. I had no idea that your people would react as they did.'
Forgetting her inhibitions, Sam put her arms around her weeping double.'Can't you go back?' she asked.'Put things right?'
He shook his head miserably. 'What's done is done. I can't change it.'
'But you're a Time Lord. All we have to do is get in theTARDIS and hop back a few hours.'
'No!' shouted the Doctor, displaying a tare flash of anger. 'We can't undo what's already happened, Sam. If we start to unravel the past, it will go on unravelling. We will do untold damage.'
'But you change things all the time,' she said.'You're always interfering.'
'Only from the standpoint of the present. I can give little nudges here and there.Within the confines of theTARDIS I can even project future events and try to alter them before they happen. But I can't go back to undo what's already been done, Sam. Not ever. If I could we'd live in a perfect universe and then where would we be?'
Now it was her turn to be angry. She shook her head, scowling.'Sometimes I don't understand you,' she said.
'No ,' said the Doctor quietly,'you don't.'
He turned from the carnage he had wreaked and took a step back towards the TARDIS. Suddenly there was a movement in the murky shadows behind him. Sam saw a hideous, bubbling shape rising from behind a nearby console. Before she could shout a warning, the Zygon warlord, Balaak, blisters erupting all over its body, gave a hissing roar and lurched across the room, arms outstretched. Sam caught a glimpse of the thorns projecting from its palms an instant before it clamped its hands to the sides of the Doctor's neck. The Doctor's face creased in agony and he collapsed, writhing, to the floor.
'You killed my people, Time Lord; Balaak rasped, deep-set eyes burning with orange light.'Now I kill you!'
Chapter 9
Unleashed
All at once Balaak staggered, and was prevented from falling only by the mushroom-like controls of a nearby console which the Zygon warlord managed to clutch hold of. Immediately Tuval pulled free of Sam's embrace and rushed to help Balaak, taking the dying leader's arm, offering support.
Balaak was breathing