Doctor Who_ The Taint - Michael Collier [53]
It would be accurate enough for his purposes. The simulation would mirror the processes it had detected in Roley's brain during the mind mapping, each command from every neuron. The simulator's logic gates would substitute zeros and ones for the brain's own stimulatory and inhibitory signals, and it had a CPU instead of a biological system to interpret them, but otherwise the computer and the brain weren't a million miles apart.
With a surgeon's skill, he connected and ran a gossamer-like web of dendritic filaments from the simulator's logic channels to the leech.
***
Sam stared at the call box. Inside was a large black box with two buttons and a heavy-looking phone.
'Button A? Button B?' she said. 'What's all that, then?'
'You do the space girl act very well,' said Fitz. 'And there was me thinking the first bird in space was that Russian tart.'
'You could try calling her a woman if you -'
***
As soon as the Doctor switched on the device, the leech twitched and curled in its bloody coating as it wasted no time interacting with the data it was receiving.
The Doctor watched it wallow in the dish.
***
Azoth thumped two hands down on the car's dashboard. 'Signal...'
'Signal?' Tarr looked at him in alarm. 'Right or left?'
***
Sam suddenly clutched at her head, and let out a piercing scream.
***
'Signal unshielded.. .'Azoth leaned forward so his bandaged head was touching the windscreen. "Turn this vehicle to the right.'
By the time Azoth had got out the words they'd missed the turning.
'Next right?' ventured Tarr, timidly.
'Follow signal!' said Azoth, his voice thick with static.
***
Fitz stared round him, wildly, not knowing what to do. 'What? What? Jesus, if I'd known you'd be that touchy about it -'
She grabbed hold of him. 'It's that feeling,' she said through gritted teeth.
'The fear, it's... he's coming back!'
'He?'
'From last night. Oh Christ...'
Fitz stood there as Sam pressed herself against him, terrified, wondering if there was anything reassuring he could say - to himself as much as to her.
'Come on,' he muttered. 'Loony or not, I think old Roley better take a look at you.'
***
Lucy and Watson were waiting for Roley in the drawing room, as Russell had said. Roley tried to smile, casually, but he knew they wouldn't be fooled. They knew he still felt a little nervous about them, he was sure of it; he had never quite managed to keep that professional distance so important between patient and doctor.
How could he expect them to trust and respect him when he didn't himself?
'Word travels fast on the grapevine I see!" he said, his tone carefully jovial.
'Dearie me, yes.'
Lucy yawned, and Watson sat down in a chair.Taylor, grim-faced and fidgety, sat next to him, and Russell helped Mrs Kreiner get comfortable on a low-backed settee.
What's become of you all? thought Roley, surveying his charges. What's happening inside you right now, as we speak? He swallowed hard. They were only ill. Only ill.
'All here, then,' said Roley. 'Splendid.'
'Nurse Bulwell's not here,' said Lucy, a sly smile spreading over her wide round face.
'No,' said Roley. He hadn't gone to check that she was all right as the Doctor had suggested – he was too embarrassed. She'd be fine.
'I believe she's a little upset, Dr Roley,' said Watson. 'What could have caused that, do you think?'
'Oh, she's right as rain, right as rain. She's just resting. It's been a bit of a rum day so far, what with one thing and another.' He couldn't force this false grin much further.
'I'm sure I can hear her crying, Dr Roley. 'Watson looked expectantly at him, as if challenging him to disagree.
'Never mind her,' complained Taylor. 'Make us feel better.'
'Please,' added Russell. His collar was undone