Doctor Who NA14 - Lucifer Rising by Andy Lane; Jim Mortimore

Author:Andy Lane; Jim Mortimore
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-07-13T01:06:33+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

As Bernice entered the refectory she almost bumped into the Doctor. He was standing just inside the doorway, supporting Piper O’Rourke, who was looking old, tired and bruised. Beside them both, Cheryl Russell was sucking her bloodied knuckles.

Over the Time Lord’s shoulder, Bernice saw that the refectory was full. The entire Project Eden team – or what was left of it – was milling around: cowed, shocked and submissive. IMC troopers stood along the periphery of the room with raised weapons. The simularity in the centre of the refectory was even displaying the company logo: the letters IMC in brushed duralinium, curved around a spiral galaxy. It looked to Bernice like a hand crushing a butterfly.

‘Move it!’ A muscular Company goon in macho combat gear slapped her rump. She turned and was about to deck him when she realized that his needler was aimed at her stomach.

‘I said move it!’ He grinned. His teeth were even and white, and Bernice wanted to ram them down his throat. His chest tag read ‘ARDAMAL’. Bernice stared him down: memorizing his face and making sure that he knew it. His smile grew wider. She stalked off before she said something that he might regret, stepping accidentally on one of the deactivated security drones now littering the Base, and cracking its delicate shell.

Clang. The massive airtight door to the refectory swung shut. Silence fell.

People glanced fearfully around at the impassive troops, waiting for the executions to start. The baleful light from the windows cast trembling shadows towards the IMC logo. Somewhere in the background, the food dispenser drifted aimlessly, offering tasty delicacies to uninterested people.

Bernice beckoned the Doctor over. ‘What do you think they’re going to do with us?’ she hissed.

‘If they wanted to kill us, they’d have done it already.’

‘Oh yes?’

‘Look at it from their point of view. Why waste the energy?’

‘We have to do something,’ she urged.

‘I’m open to suggestions.’

‘I thought you were supposed to be the one who always had all the answers.’

He smiled bashfully. ‘A convincing bluff, I’m afraid.’

187

‘Certainly took me in.’ Bernice glanced around. ‘Oh hell,’ she continued,

‘I’m going to make a break for it. Can you cause some kind of distraction, Doctor?’

‘Distraction is my middle name.’

‘Yes, one of them,’ Bernice muttered as the Doctor bounded into the centre of the room.

‘Well,’ he announced, ‘no doubt you’re all wondering why I called you here.’

All heads turned to watch him as he reached into his pocket and took out three multicoloured balls. ‘You’ll like this.’ He began to juggle, making it look as if he was just on the verge of dropping the balls each time he caught them. ‘There is nothing up my sleeves but my arms, there is nothing down my trousers but a ferret.’

People started laughing: nervously at first, and then with real amusement.

A wave of relaxation swept across the room. Even the troopers seemed to be fascinated as they crowded closer for a better look. Perhaps their orders didn’t cover lunatic Time Lord jugglers.

Bernice took

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