BBC Doctor Who: Diamond Dogs by Mike Tucker

Author:Mike Tucker [Tucker, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Chapter

11

Jorgen Delitsky sat in the cool, quiet calm of the control centre, glad for a few moments just to sit and think. Even though he spent virtually every moment of his working day here, there was something about the place when it was empty that he found relaxing. The red ‘night’ lighting, the background hum of the machinery, the pattern of the lights blinking on the consoles, even the slight breeze from the air-con all combined to create something that he found almost tranquil.

He was well aware that Jo Teske thought that he was crazy. Most of his team couldn’t wait to get away at the end of the shift, hurrying to meet friends or lovers in the bar or the cinema or the rec room. Delitsky had never been able to relax anywhere like that. He was always aware of people being slightly tense around him, of modifying their behaviour because ‘the boss’ was present. That in turn made him uncomfortable and so he tended to retreat here instead.

‘Penny for them, Chief?’

He became aware that Claire Robbins was watching him curiously. There was always one senior officer on duty in the control room in case of emergencies, and Robbins had drawn the short straw this evening.

‘I was just wondering which of the rim planets might need a man with my talents … What do you think, Claire, can you see me cutting down trees on Androzani Major?’

‘Hm … Dunno, Chief. I’ve never seen you as the outdoor type.’ She gave him a sympathetic smile. ‘Things really looking that bad?’

Delitsky sighed. He had just used emergency powers to overrule two senior Kollo-Zarnista executives and bring a multi-billion-dollar mining facility to a complete standstill, he had evidence of diamond theft and sabotage taking place amongst his crew, he had lost a miner overboard and now there was a previously unknown alien species lying in his medical bay.

‘Yeah … I really think that they might be.’

He suddenly felt annoyed with himself for being so downbeat. He was damned if he was just going to give in to the likes of Nettleman and Rince. This was his rig and every decision he had made had been for the right reasons. The problem was, no one back on Earth had the slightest inkling of what was going on yet.

He pulled himself out of the command chair and stretched. ‘What’s the status with long-range communications? Is that storm still screwing things up?’

Robbins glanced down at her control console and shrugged. ‘It’s still blowing force ten, but it’s moving. Another hour, I guess, and we should be able to punch through the static. Until then, it’s short-range comms only.’

Delitsky nodded. ‘Let me know as soon as things improve. Oh, and Claire? Make sure my report goes before Nettleman’s, OK.’

She grinned. ‘Got it, Chief.’

Draining the last dregs of cold coffee from his mug, Delitsky was about to make his way to the machine in the corner for a refill when movement from inside the hangar caught his eye.

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