Doctor Who_ Winner Takes All - Jacqueline Rayner [62]
Anyway, four more people were on their way out of the Mantodean stronghold. And that meant that maybe, some time soon, Mickey would get to go home and go to bed.
* * *
Rose had been busy with the sonic screwdriver. She had no idea how it was working – she had no idea if it even was working, but she hadn’t heard any explosions, so she was hoping for the best.
She met up with another middle‐aged white man – Mr Snow, she’d been told – who had a sort of glazed look in his eyes, not as if he was scared, just as if he was refusing to believe this was really happening. She’d worked the Doctor’s magic on Mr Nkomo, someone called Anne something or other, someone called Tim Breeley, and a Japanese girl who must have been there for ages because the Doctor said his friend Robert didn’t recognise her at all.
One more person was heading her way, her own voice had told her. And she hoped against hope that this was nearly it, that she could get the rescuing stuff over with, so that someone could get around to rescuing her.
* * *
There were only four lights now, including Rose; the rest had left the stronghold. Robert was worried the Quevvils would realise what was happening, but the Doctor said even if they realised people were getting out of the place, they’d just think they were getting blown up.
Now the last blue light had turned back to white – and Robert couldn’t help himself from spinning round every few seconds to look at the screen. Now it was approaching the white light that was Rose. Now – turn around – there was a blur in the distance that might just be a person. Now – turn back to the map – it was getting very close to Rose. Now – turn around again – it was nearly there, any minute now he’d be able to see –
It was a woman. It was… It was Rachel Goldberg. Robert forced himself to smile. ‘Mr Goldberg will be so happy,’ he said. ‘And she was really nice too.’
He worked out the route to get Rachel out of the stronghold, and the Doctor relayed his words, through Rose, to this Mickey back on Earth. Robert kept a close eye on the remaining two non‐Rose lights, but they showed no signs of doing the little jumping‐around thing that the Doctor had worked out as a signal. The Doctor had Rose sever the connection to Earth, telling Mickey he’d call back when – if – they were needed.
‘Rose,’ said the Doctor, speaking out loud the words he was creating through her, ‘there’re still two other people in there, playing the game. I hope Mickey’s trying to find their controllers, but we’re running out of time. I’m going to send you to intercept them if I can. Maybe you can carry them out or something. But somehow we’ve got to get everyone out of there. I’ve got a plan.’
Robert inwardly cheered. The Doctor still had a plan!
‘But everyone’s gotta be out of there. We –’
‘Gerdix! The carrier is not following the correct path! Have you had further power problems?’
Robert jumped as the voice boomed out of the intercom. ‘Quick!’ he cried to the Doctor. ‘You’ve got to make him answer again!’
The Doctor was scrabbling on the floor, searching for the silver control box. ‘I dropped it about here…’
‘You kicked it away,’ Robert reminded him.
‘Must be somewhere over here…’
‘Gerdix! Answer! If you do not answer within thirty seconds…’
‘Here we go again,’ said the Doctor. ‘Ah! It must’ve gone under that workbench.’
Robert grabbed the game control pad and took charge of watching the screen for Mantodeans, while the Doctor crawled across the floor on his hands and knees.
‘Twenty‐five seconds…’
‘No – where is the blasted thing? Aha!’
A Mantodean came on the screen. Robert instinctively pressed the button to fire at it. He imagined Rose’s arm shooting up, her finger on the trigger of a gun… The Mantodean barely staggered as the laser beam hit it, it certainly didn’t fall. Guns had pretty much been useless against them, Robert remembered from his own days playing Death to Mantodeans. He jabbed at the controls, hoping that the Doctor’s improvements would help him out here. ‘Doctor,