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The human brain should have been simple to augment, but it was as if the energy that had finally found its way to his memory core had left his other functions still further degraded. Motor functions were failing, and visual inputs had shut down all together. Azoth felt no fear at the prospect of non-operation, only concern that he should not fail in his task. He had no way of knowing how many others of his kind were still functioning across the universe. It had never been intended that the fluid droids would last for ever. They had been given self-renewing circuitry, backups and fail-safes.

Even so, there had to come a time when the last safeguards failed and entropy set in irreversibly.

The Beast were organic, self-replicating. But Azoth was determined he would outlive them on this battleground.

He wasn't sure for how long his mind had wandered. The fear flared up once more, and he concentrated again on the task, and the mind, in hand.

***

Sam was sure her opponents were getting stronger. She felt a bit like William G. Stewart in Fifteen to One - they'd begun fanning out, stumbling and swaying but somehow forming a loose semicircle around her, with Watson on one end and Russell on the other. Their faces were contorted, but whether in pain or concentration she didn't know. The Beast were swarming over them all, so the Doctor was right about the program not working. Then again, it wasn't exactly knocking them off her, was it?

Her head throbbed - she felt a bit useless, as if standing here wasn't really enough. Come on, Doctor.

Suddenly, Lucy stepped just a little closer. 'Please, Sam,' she said, her eyes Bambi-wide in her pale face. 'Don't do this. I've never had anything worth holding on to; I don't want to lose this.'

Sam glanced at the others, to check she wasn't being deliberately distracted, but they seemed to be just the same, bent over slightly as if sick, their faces pale and pasty.

'Look at you,' Sam said. 'You really think this is worth hanging on to?'

Lucy whistled through her teeth. 'You don't know what I can do.'

'I know it's wrong. Doing stuff like this to people -'

She snorted. 'People have done stuff tome all my life.'

'You've been sick,' Sam persisted.

Mrs Kreiner whined and lashed out at her. Sam instinctively took a step back, and the others took one forward towards her.

'Fitz, help me watch them,' she shouted. 'The Doctor will be back in a minute. They're going to try something.'

'Gotcha,' called Fitz behind her, feebly.

'I've never been allowed to be happy, never,' said Lucy, morosely.

'Hurting other people shouldn't -'

'Oh, hark at you,' said Lucy. 'Standing there all lily-white, full of the milk of human kindness, full of good ... "God is love" - that's what the Bible says, isn't it? "And those that live in love, live in God"?' She spat on the floor.

'Well, I've never known love.'

'You're breaking my heart,' said Sam.

'And I hate God,' she said, edging forward. It was as if the words gave her strength. 'Hate Him and all He stands for!'

Sam met her gaze, saw the hate there, but wouldn't let herself flinch. 'I'm not even sure there is a God,' she said. 'But what good does it do blaming Him for your crappy life, anyway?'

'I'm not interested in good,' Lucy muttered.

Sam turned to Watson. 'What about you, then? You're a bit quiet for a change, aren't you, big man?'

Watson, still doubled up, looked at her. 'Oh, you'll hear me when I decide to speak, girl,' he said. 'I can promise you that.'

'Look out, Sam,' Fitz warned. She broke away from Watson's gaze and saw Mrs Kreiner, reaching out for her again, tottering forward. Sam took another step back, and the old woman snarled at her.

'Ohhhhh, no !' said Lucy. 'No, no, no...' Sam realised the woman was looking past her at something, seething with frustration. Was this a trick?

'Don't look round, Sam, I'm back.'

Sam's heart leapt at the Doctor's voice. Mrs