by James Goss
‘People keep on hitting me today.’ The Doctor lay sprawled on the floor. ‘You know what, it’s comfortable down here. I may stay.’
Bentley kicked him before I could stop her.
He groaned. ‘Yes,’ he said to her sourly. ‘Yes, I let that thing out. Risky short cut. I am sorry about your colleague. If you’d listened to me, maybe it wouldn’t have happened. But I needed to show you. You don’t really know what’s going on here at all. Ignore what you’ve been promised.’
‘Shut up!’ Bentley grabbed hold of him by the throat. When she spoke to him it was in a hoarse, exhausted scream. ‘I don’t care about your lies. Tell me about your creature!’
He let out a little rattle, flapping his hands at her arms. ‘I can’t,’ he croaked. ‘Not when you’re … choking … me …’
But Bentley didn’t let go. She was still shouting at him. ‘It’s all because of you, isn’t it? Because of you they all died. I thought it was him –’ she jabbed a finger at me – ‘but no. The prisoners. Level 7. Chandress – yes, that was the name of “my colleague”. I knew all their names – and … and …’
‘Donaldson,’ I said to Bentley, softly. I placed a hand on her shoulder. ‘That’s enough.’ I spoke calmly. It was my best Governing tone.
For once, it sort of worked. She let go of the Doctor’s throat. He fell back gasping. ‘You … you’ve got quite a grip.’
Bentley turned to me, staring at me. Properly looking me in the eyes. Working out what I was going to say next.
‘All right, then, Governor, what do you want to say? What are your orders?’
‘Well …’ I began. And then I saw it. The looks in her Guardians’ faces. Their dismay that Bentley might listen to me. I’d lost their faith. I saw that now. And I couldn’t afford for her to lose theirs. There had to be a chain of command of some sort.
‘I don’t … I don’t have any orders.’ My throat was dry, but I pressed on, pointing at them. ‘Right now, I just want you to leave us alone. Prisoner 428 and I are working on a theory. That something’s going on here that we don’t understand yet. But that’s it. I don’t want you to obey me. Or even really believe me. I just want you all to stay alive and keep safe.’
I put down my hand, and pulled the Doctor up from the floor. He stared at me, still panting from Bentley’s assault.
‘Come on, Doctor,’ I said. ‘We’re going.’
We walked away. No one tried to stop us.
We turned the corner.
The Doctor looked at me. ‘Small thing,’ he said. ‘I should probably just nip back and tell them three more little facts.’
My hand landed on his shoulder. It was a modification of Safe Restraint Grip Five. The Doctor winced.
‘On second thoughts,’ he grunted, ‘I don’t think we need to go back after all.’
We walked on in silence. I took him to the viewing platform.
‘Look at that,’ I said. ‘Out there. Space. Getting on with its life. All those planets and systems. All somehow moving on. It makes what’s happening here … so trivial. Out there it’s business as usual. In here … oh, I feel … is everything that’s happened here somehow my fault?’
‘Is it?’ asked the Doctor.
‘I don’t know,’ I told him. ‘Not any more.’
‘Well then …’ He pointed out at the stars. ‘I’ll tell you something, Governor. Out there? That beautiful sparkling night sky? Every twinkle out there is putting a brave face on it. Each one’s got their own problems. And I’ll get to them all some day. But right now you’re my priority.’
It felt comforting.
We stood and looked at the skies.
‘So what do we do now?’
‘I’ll tell you a theory, if you’ll then tell me something.’
‘All right,’ I agreed. I was searching the view, trying to see any traces of the remains of Level 7.
‘My theory is that this Prison has been sabotaged. The power outages? The thing downstairs? The Custodians deactivating? The Defence Array firing when it shouldn’t have? They’re all part of that. A deliberate plan.’
‘By who?’
‘Have you any enemies, Governor?’
I laughed at that. ‘Only friends,’ I assured the Doctor. ‘I’ve told you that. Everyone here is my friend.’
We both chuckled grimly.
‘I’m wondering something,’ I said. ‘You’re suggesting that somehow The Prison is turning against us.’
‘I am, yes.’
‘So that would mean that our TransNet linkup has been kept deliberately bad …’
‘To avoid you being able to get help, yes.’
‘Which would mean that this has been planned for a long time. Maybe while The Prison was still being built?’
‘Almost.’ The Doctor tipped a hand out and tilted it from side to side. ‘Some and some. I think we can agree on one thing, Governor, and that is that you’ve been set up. Set up for an almighty fall.’
I looked out at the stars. Then I held on to the rail. Very tightly.
‘I’m not sure I can take another one,’ I said. Then I sat down.
The Doctor stood behind me.
‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘Take all the time you need.’
I nodded to him gratefully. The stars were still spinning. My world had collapsed. I remembered what had happened the last time I’d spoken to my wife. Had that been when it had all started?
Something clicked. Something in the long-ago faraway distance.
‘You know I said take all the time you need?’ came the Doctor’s voice.
I nodded.
‘Well,’ the Doctor coughed, ‘I lied. Get up. They’ve come for us.’
From the walls all around us, Custodians emerged.
‘The good news …’ began the Doctor.
There’s good news?
‘Theoretically, yes.’ We were drawing together warily as the line of Custodians swept towards us. ‘It’s another line in my theory. Unless I’m very much mistaken, the Custodians have now been reactivated. The bad news is that they are now programmed to attack every living thing. If you’d – ah—’ Each Custodian emitted a threatening buzzing sound. ‘If you’d care to test my notion by walking up to them, then …’
‘No, thank you. I’ll believe you.’
‘Capital!’ The Doctor nodded, and ran a hand through his hair. ‘See the bond of trust we’ve built up between us. Any ideas?’
‘Can you use your spoon on them?’
The Doctor laughed shortly. ‘It’s just a spoon. It’s only got two settings. Three if you’re eating soup.’
‘Well, there’s nowhere to run.’
‘No.’
The Custodians drew closer.
‘Surrender?’
Sharp spokes sprang from each Custodian.
‘I think not.’
Neither of us said anything for a moment.
‘I’ve more good news for you,’ I said. ‘When Bentley finds our bodies, she’ll know you were right.’
‘Yes. That is indeed good news.’
The Custodians were two metres from us. The knives had been joined by pincers.
‘At least …’ I said, my mouth dry, ‘it’ll be quick.’
‘Really?’
‘No.’
‘Thought not.’ The Doctor shrugged, and in doing so, drew a jar of metal filings from his pocket. He threw them up into the air, where they hung like glitter. And then, from his other pocket, he brought out the blowtorch. It squirted a brief jet of flame. Not really enough to do anything other than ignite the fluttering glitter. Which burned, burned with a fierce light and heat.
The Doctor grabbed me, snatching me out of the way.
‘Magnesium filings,’ he said.
The burning cloud settled on the Custodians. And carried on burning. Their arms flew up, swatting them as they burned at their casings.
‘I grabbed them from the workshop,’ he explained.
‘Is there anything you have
n’t stolen?’
‘Hmm. Depends. What’s not nailed down?’
The Custodians buzzed and banged against each other. The Doctor threw up more filings and ignited them. This time as they fell, a force shield flared up around the Custodians.
‘They’re protecting themselves. Which is good, because …’
The force shield flared, and the Custodians shut down.
The Doctor folded his arms. ‘Thought so. They’ve not had a chance to properly recharge. Never launch a killing spree on an empty battery. Come on.’
We had to edge through them. Even powered down, there was something sinister about them. They still hummed with residual energy. I had to brush past a set of claws and spikes, feeling my uniform snag against them. I moved on, and then couldn’t. A Custodian’s claw had fastened around my uniform, seizing my arm.
‘Doctor …’ I hissed.
The claw was spasming, never quite releasing, never quite clamping down fully. I knew that if it did, it would cut clean through the bone.
The Doctor turned and looked. ‘That one’s got more charge than the others. A little. Not much.’
‘Not helping.’
‘Fine,’ The Doctor was giving off the air of having bigger problems to deal with than me losing an arm. ‘I’ll do a thing. When I do the thing, I want you to run to the door and not stop. Not for anything.’
‘Right.’
‘Oh, and shut your eyes.’
‘Why?’
‘Cos if this goes wrong, you won’t want to see.’
‘Won’t want to see what?’
The Doctor produced his spoon. He coughed, ‘The electromagnet has two poles,’ he said, tapping the battery taped to the base. ‘Which gives me a fifty-fifty chance. If I get it right, that claw springs wide apart. If I get it wrong …’
‘Oh.’
‘Sorry.’
‘Are you sure about this?’
‘Fifty-fifty isn’t bad odds. I’d go so far as to offer you sixty-forty.’
‘On what basis?’
‘None whatsoever. You see, it’s based on my purely reductive belief that things will work out for the best.’ With a smile, the Doctor pounced on the claw. Before I could even scream.
Instinctively, I cried out and shut my eyes.
‘You’re done,’ the Doctor whispered in my ear.
‘Done how?’
‘Done as in run.’
‘My arms?’
‘Still plural. Run.’
I opened my eyes. All I could see was the floor, without an arm lying flapping spare on it. So I ran for the door. As I did so, the Custodian behind me spun round into life and advanced on the Doctor.
‘Down, boy,’ he roared and aimed a strident kick at it.
The Custodian gave a loud clang and stopped. The Doctor cried out, hopping back from it, agonised.
‘Did you hear that?’ he wailed.
‘The clang?’
‘The crunch, man, the crunchy snapping sound.’
‘No.’
The Doctor was windmilling his arms while swinging a foot back and forth.
‘That was my toe.’ He pulled an agonised face. ‘That … that really hurt. I think I’ve broken my toe.’
‘The Custodians are very solidly built. That was in the contract.’
‘Dandy. Just dandy. The one thing here that is. Never mind. Let’s get out of here.’
The Doctor hobbled off slowly, grimacing.
I followed him. Not quite sure where we were going.
It was silent on the launch pad. The Doctor eased himself into the chair I used to greet visitors.
‘That’s, actually, er, my chair …’ I began, but the Doctor shot me a look. ‘To which, of course, you’re more than welcome.’
The Doctor slipped his boot off and examined his injured foot carefully. His sock was decorated with some surprisingly unexpected cartoon animals.
‘This little piggy went to market … This little piggy stayed at home … This little piggy had roast beef … This little piggy had none … And this big piggy … arg.’ He waggled his toes and then smiled.
‘What is it? Is your toe all right?
‘No,’ the Doctor’s smile vanished. ‘This piggy is quite definitely broken. But, see, when I move my toes it makes it look like the piggies are dancing. Ha.’ He frowned. ‘Where is she?’
‘Clara?’
He nodded.
‘I thought you said she was out here, protesting.’ The Doctor narrowed his eyes.
‘Frequently.’
‘But the one time when I need her, she’s away kissing, or teaching her children the rudimentary basics of transdimensional engineering. Typical. That girl … has no sense of priorities.’ He sighed. ‘That’s the problem with companions. I had a dog once. Ah yes. That one worked out rather well.’ He leaned back in the chair and shut his eyes. All of a sudden, he once more looked so old and so very tired.
There was a cough.
Clara was standing on the other side of the fence. The Doctor sprang to his feet, wincing only slightly.
‘Clara Ostrich!’ The Doctor beamed.
‘The surname is Oswald,’ said Clara.
‘Well, I’ve been thinking. About the surname. You never really liked it, I’ve never really liked it. And Ostrich is much better. Because of the neck.’
Clara considered him coolly. ‘I’ve missed you,’ she said.
‘And I’ve missed you too.’
They stood there for a moment, grinning at each other like idiots.
‘Ooh, nice socks,’ said Clara.
‘Socks don’t matter,’ said the Doctor, slipping the boot gingerly back on. ‘So, it’s you and me back together again. The Doctor and Clara. Separated only by an electrical fence.’
‘Plus seventy-three other security systems,’ I put in.
‘And I’ll get to those in a minute,’ the Doctor dismissed me. Now that Clara was here, I got the feeling I was no longer important. Curious. He was studying her intently. ‘Now then, Ostrich, you’re late. You’re never late. There’s a reason, isn’t there?’ He smiled at her.
Clara nodded. ‘The TARDIS and I have been on a side trip.’
‘Nice to see the two of you getting along.’ The Doctor beamed. ‘The TARDIS is my spaceship,’ he explained to me. He dropped his voice to a stage whisper. ‘She and Clara never used to be friendly. But they’ve managed to forget and forgive.’
‘I’ve not forgotten!’ protested Clara.
‘And I’m sure the TARDIS hasn’t forgiven,’ said the Doctor. ‘Now where have you been, you old sly-boots?’
‘Weelll …’ Clara twisted on her feet, clearly pleased with herself but also a little worried about the impact her news would have. ‘Do be pleased—’
‘I rarely am these days.’
‘OK.’ She took a deep breath. ‘We rescued the people on Level 7.’
‘You did what?’ I cried, and nearly threw myself on the electric fence in an attempt to embrace her.
‘You did what?’ The Doctor’s tone was less joyous. ‘Tell me you didn’t travel back in time and save them?’
Clara shook her head. ‘As it flew past, we detected the Defence Array powering up, so we hopped over, loaded them in, and then dropped them off on a colony. Hence the delay.’ For some reason I wasn’t quite sure of, she was holding her hand behind her back. ‘Nice little world called Birling.’
I reacted to that. I’d hoped never to hear the name again.
‘I see,’ the Doctor looked at her, and then at me. ‘Well, one less massacre. And I’m sure the Oracle will be pleased.’
‘Is that …’ Clara wrinkled her nose distastefully. ‘Is that the weird fat bloke doing the invisible knitting? Before the people on the colony locked him up, he told me I’d meet a tall, dark stranger and go on a long journey.’
The Doctor beamed. ‘Well, that’s pretty right, isn’t it? For once?’
‘When do I get tall and dark again?’
The Do
ctor scowled. ‘I have rather missed you,’ he said.
‘We’ve done that bit.’
‘Right then, what’s next on the list? Oh yes, the fun, impressive moment.’
‘I always like that bit.’
They kept on like this for a bit, and I was rather glad I wasn’t sat behind them on a long shuttle journey. I almost wanted to be a part of their world, while worried at how they could behave like it in the middle of chaos.
At the same time, I was swamped with relief. Level 7 was fine. Everyone was fine. They’d lived. For the first time that day, I knew that things were going to be all right. Because the Doctor and Clara were here.
Which was when half of the landing pad exploded.
Clara was thrown screaming to the ground. She scrambled up, debris and flame swirling around her.
‘What?’ she cried.
‘The Defence Array …’ I stammered. ‘But why?’
The weapon fired again. The ground between us and Clara burned.
‘It’s now turned in on The Prison,’ said the Doctor. ‘It’s detected the arrival of Clara. And it’s quite determined to wipe her out. And most especially our spaceship.’
There was another blast. Closer to Clara.
‘It’s still calibrating,’ mused the Doctor. ‘Seventy-three systems keeping her out?’
‘And the fence. Yes.’
‘Turn them off. Let her in. Now.’
‘I can’t,’ I protested.
The Defence Array fired again. Clara was now sheltering behind the small rock she’d sat on earlier. Chips of it were flying into the air.
‘You have to.’ The Doctor was fierce with urgency. ‘Look at her!’
Clara shrank as more shots fell near her. The thin atmosphere was full of sparks.
‘I just can’t,’ I protested. ‘The system is designed to be impregnable. I can’t let an innocent person in. I just can’t.’
Another bolt split the stone in two. And then another shattered it.
With nowhere left to hide, Clara stood up, alone and exposed, covered in small cuts from the splinters of rock.
‘Shall I run for the TARDIS?’ she suggested.
‘I’m afraid you won’t make it,’ said the Doctor. ‘You don’t stand a chance out there.’
‘Goodbye?’ she offered.
‘Never,’ the Doctor was firm. He turned to me. ‘The innocent can’t come in, you say?’