Doctor Who MA12 - The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Christopher Bulis

Author:Christopher Bulis
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-07-13T02:21:27+00:00

16

Objectives

ristram’s cabin was crowded, but it seemed more ap

T propriate to talk in here than out on the open deck. At least it was light and airy enough, with the afternoon sun streaming in through the open sterncastle windows. Besides, they might have to discuss things that Bron would rather the crew did not hear. He studied the four newcomers carefully, noting the differences between them and the Doctor’s party.

There was clearly much variety in the peoples of the oldworlds. That two of them were soldiers was obvious from their bearing before they gave their ranks during the introductions. The woman and the thin, scholarly man were puzzles, falling in their manner somewhere between the soldiers and the Doctor and Ian. He wished he understood more fully what being a scientist truly meant. It was a word they had used several times already. There was an aura of power about it, rather like ‘wizard’, and it suggested things beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. He saw the Doctor was as keenly interested in the newcomers as he was, and Bron let him carry the conversation for the while, as he felt he understood them better. At the moment, the Doctor’s fingers met in a thoughtful pyramid under his chin as he stared across the table at Shannon, who seemed to do most of the talking.

‘So,’ the Doctor concluded at length, ‘you are now marooned on Avalon like we are. Still, it was fortunate we happened to be around when you crashed, or else you might have had a long wait before you made landfall.’

‘After all our rockets blew we couldn’t make it back to the coast again,’ explained Monadno, ‘so we were trying to reach some islands we’d seen from orbit.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘I guess that’s where you’re going too, from the way you were heading.’

‘We are, as it happens,’ admitted the Doctor. ‘But you mention rockets. Rather primitive for your type of craft, I would have thought. Reactionless impellers or thrusters would be more suitable. Unless you were expecting trouble, of course.’

Shannon smiled tightly. ‘We had already lost some test probes, so we knew something was wrong.’

‘Such cautious use of probes suggests you already had your suspicions about Avalon even before you arrived. And you have come in squadron strength as well. Did you envisage the likelihood of a military confrontation?’

Monadno cut in, trying to sound helpful. ‘It is very simple, Doctor. Over the years several ships have been lost in this sector. At last the likely source of the problem was narrowed down to this system. Since it was possible that an enemy of the Empire was at work the military got involved. Now it looks like some natural phenomenon is responsible, we can let the scientists study it.’

Bron noticed the reactions of Monadno’s companions while he spoke. Shannon and Ivanov quickly nodded as though to reinforce his explanation, but Komati sat still, staring fixedly at a knot in the surface of the table.

‘But you were not

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