Doctor Who_ World Game - Doctor Who_ World Game Part 24
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Doctor Who_ World Game Part 24

'Lady Serena or the Countess?' asked the Doctor.

Fulton looked at him as if he were mad. ' Nautilus Nautilus, of course. Has she been damaged?' He began walking around the coppery hull of the submarine, examining it carefully.

'I don't think there's any harm done,' said the Doctor.

Satisfied, at least for the moment, that his precious craft was unharmed, Fulton said, 'So what happened? The place is surrounded by soldiers, half of them dead or wounded...'

'There was an attempt to destroy your submarine,' said the Doctor. 'Fortunately the attackers blew themselves up with their own bomb. Isn't that what happened, Countess?'

'Yes,' said the Countess. 'That's exactly what happened.'

Fulton looked sceptical. 'If you say so, Countess. So long as there's no damage. The Emperor wants the trials brought forward. Tomorrow.'

'But we're not ready.'

'That's what I told him. He said, "Be ready." You know what he's like. Unless we get the new drive system installed she's going to perform like an ancient snail...The Emperor's not going to buy a craft that won't arrive till a week after the battle!'

The Countess cut across him. 'We can talk about that later. We mustn't detain the Doctor and Lady Serena with our technical problems. They must want to rest after their ordeal.'

'You're too kind,' said the Doctor, accepting dismissal.

'Come along, Serena.'

The Countess waited until they were gone and then closed the door.

'How are you getting on with installing the drive, Mr Fulton?'

'I'm not.'

'Can you be ready by tomorrow?'

'Not a chance.'

'You're supposed to be a scientist '

'I am a scientist. I know as much about steam power as anyone in the world. But this drive of yours is way beyond me.'

'You don't have to know how it works. You just have to make it move the submarine.'

Fulton's American twang became more pronounced.

'Sure. And to do that I have to fix up a connection between the power source and the crankshaft of the propeller.'

'A simple task, surely?'

Fulton gave a sigh of exasperation. 'Sure but I just can't make one that will hold up, they all shatter. Your damn drive's just too powerful and ' He broke off. 'Say!'

'Say what, Mr Fulton?' said the Countess coldly.

'The Doctor said he knew something about atomics.

Maybe he could help.'

'That's out of the ' The Countess too broke off. 'You may be right, Mr Fulton. Perhaps the Doctor could help. But he'd have to be asked in exactly the right way.' She smiled. 'You'd better leave that to me...'

Chapter Twenty-one.

Kidnap

The Doctor and Serena sank gratefully into the carriage cushions as they jolted back towards the Rue Chantereine.

Serena was still pale and shaken after her ordeal. 'That thing, Doctor!'

'The Raston Warrior Robot? Nasty piece of work, wasn't it? Sooner face a Cyberman or a Dalek any day.'

'Where did it come from? Who made it?'

'Nobody really knows, not for sure. According to the ancient legends it was the work of an alien super-race, who died out millions of years ago. They were dedicated to war, and they were so efficient at it that they wiped themselves out. Unfortunately they left a few of their weapons behind.'

'And the thing still functions, after all that time?'

'It's powered by the atomic radiation in the atmosphere, so it never runs down. It can convert energy into matter.'

'How did it turn up in Mr Fulton's workshop?'

'That's the thing that really worries me. It means the Countess has an ally on Gallifrey.'

Serena was shocked. 'Surely not!'

'I'm afraid so. I suspected as much after the vampire attacked us. Now I'm certain of it.'

'How can you be so sure?'

'The one place you can be sure to find a Raston Robot, or a vampire along with a number of other nasties is in the Death Zone on Gallifrey. It's a sort of monster supermarket.

And the only way someone could deliver one of them to Earth on order is by the use of a Timescoop.'

'A what?'

'A forbidden piece of apparatus from the Dark Times. Our more unscrupulous ancestors used it to kidnap ferocious alien life forms and set them to fight each other in the Zone.'

Serena frowned. 'I vaguely remember the stories. I thought they were only legends.'

'All true enough, more's the pity.'

'Wasn't the Timescoop supposed to have been destroyed after Rassilon's Reformation?'

' Supposed Supposed is the word. There have always been rumours that the Agency had one in its possession. They hate to lose control of a possible dirty trick. So there's no possibility of going back, or even reporting back until this is over. As it is, the enemy seems to know our every move.' is the word. There have always been rumours that the Agency had one in its possession. They hate to lose control of a possible dirty trick. So there's no possibility of going back, or even reporting back until this is over. As it is, the enemy seems to know our every move.'

Serena was silent for a moment. 'You know that the Agency recruited me for this mission, Doctor?'

'To be my supervisor?'

Serena smiled, remembering their first clash. 'Assistant, if you prefer! Not that I've been of much assistance.'

'You control the new TARDIS.'

'Which you could learn to do in a matter of minutes.

Probably already have learnt, if the truth were told. I've seen you watching me operate the console.'

'I was just taking an interest.'

'Apart from that I'm more of a handicap than a help. I wonder why they sent me at all!'

The Doctor paused before answering. 'Two reasons, I imagine. Firstly because they don't trust me they never trust anyone and they hope you might be more loyal to them than to me.'

'They might be wrong about that. And the other reason?'

'Window-dressing, I'm afraid to show that this rather dubious mission has been carried out under the supervision of a respectable and responsible Time Lady! That's if it succeeds. If we fail they'll disown us both.'

Serena nodded. 'I'm afraid you're right. You know why I accepted this mission?'

'Either you've got a sordid past and the Agency know about it '

Serena looked shocked. 'Certainly not!'

The Doctor smiled. '- or the Agency promised you something you wanted.'

'Help and support in my political career.'

'It's an old story,' said the Doctor. 'They own half the High Council one way or another, blackmail or bribery.'

'I'll get a lot further with the Agency behind me,' said Serena defiantly.

'Get where?' asked the Doctor gently. 'There are lots of old proverbs here on Earth, Serena. There's one about touching pitch and being defiled, another about using a long spoon when you sup with the devil.'

'You're working for the Agency.'

'Well, I didn't have much choice, did I?' said the Doctor indignantly. 'Between the Agency and extinction, I'll take the Agency every time. They'll get more work out of me too before they let me go. But I'll do it on my own terms or not at all!' With an effort he calmed himself. 'You mustn't think you're a burden to me, Serena. In our short acquaintance we've been through a lot together. I may not show it much but I've come to value your companionship.'

'And I yours, Doctor.'

They looked at each other for a moment two self-contained Time Lords embarrassed by a moment of intimacy.

'Tell you what,' said the Doctor, 'we deserve a treat. Let's go home, remove the traces of battle and go out for a good dinner. I suggest the Grand Vefour in the Rue de Beaujolais.'

'An excellent idea,' said Serena. 'I've had quite enough excitement for one evening.'

They carried out the Doctor's plan, dining in style in the restaurant's splendid candle-lit salle salle, their images reflected in hundreds of sparkling mirrors. They talked of Serena's life on Gallifrey and her political plans, and the Doctor told astonishing tales of Daleks, and Cybermen and other horrors, encountered during two adventurous incarnations.

It was late by the time the carriage pulled up in the driveway of the little house. The Doctor jumped out of the carriage and handed Serena down.

He looked up at the driver. 'You can go back to the livery stable now, old chap. Tell them I'll retain the carriage for the week, they can send their account.' He fished coins out of his pocket. 'Here, this is for you. I'll let you know when we need you again.'

The driver took the money and touched his hat with his whip. 'Thanks very much, sir. Goodnight.'

The coach drove away.

The front door opened, but it wasn't their newly hired butler who confronted them. It was a tall, elegantly dressed young man with a sulky face. It was Valmont, the Countess's companion. He had a double-barrelled pistol in his hand.

The Doctor stared at him in indignant astonishment. 'What do you think you are doing here?'

'Waiting to welcome you home, Doctor.'

Before the Doctor could stop him, Valmont sprang forward and clapped the pistol to Serena's head.