Doctor Who - New Adventures - 09 - Love and War by Paul Cornell & Publishing Carol

Author:Paul Cornell & Publishing Carol [Cornell, Paul & Carol, Publishing]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, General, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780426203858
Google: Oc7EAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0426203852
Publisher: London Bridge
Published: 1992-11-14T08:00:00+00:00

***

Kale took a key from his pocket, and switched off the communications deck of the orbital platform.

His shuttle had arrived only minutes before. The platform was a small post, crewed by three troopers. It maintained a geostationary orbit above Joycetown, and was mainly used as an early warning station, its sensors trained in the direction of the Draconian Empire. The tiny control room was crammed with sophisticated detection equipment.

'It's only for an hour or so,' Kale reassured the Duty Officer. 'I've got to realign the sensors to sweep the planet's surface. You read the letter of authorization.'

The man nodded. He and Kale were employed by the same mining company. He gestured to Kale's plaster cast. 'What happened to your arm?' he asked.

'Broken,' Kale sighed, pulling open the sensor panel with his free hand. 'Mechanical accident.'

'He knows where the book is!' hissed a voice in the steaming darkness.

'But . . . so do we,' said a second voice.

'It is . . . of no matter,' added the third voice. 'We have . . . misled the military . . . and now blinded their . . . detectors! The Doctor cannot . . . help. Soon he will not be able to . . . help himself!'

Miller had been trying to contact the orbital platform for an hour now. He threw down the communicator in disgust, then quickly picked it up again.

'Judith, tell Howarth to take a copter down to the equatorial dock. He can requisition a shuttle and get up there . . . what? Damn it!'

'What is it?' Ace asked. The Travellers and soldiers were gathered in Miller's HQ, the former looking around at the corporate logos suspiciously.

'Kale took the last bloody one today!' Miller sighed. 'The rest are all in for repair.'

'Yes.' The Doctor was sitting crosslegged on Miller's desk, his eyes closed. 'Of course, they would be.'

'You could call for reinforcements,' suggested Máire.

'Aye, I have done. I've used the Priority Link. Instantaneous communication, you see, absolutely new –'

'Really?' the Doctor sighed.

'And very expensive too, lad. But the sixth fleet won't get here for a week. Until then we're virtually blind.'

'Since our eyes are closed,' the Doctor murmured, opening his, 'now would be a good time to get some sleep. And I need to go visiting. Can you take us back to the Travellers' camp?'

Miller looked around the raggamuffins in his office, and sighed. 'Yes, Doctor. I'll get a bulk flyer together. Anything else?'

The Doctor considered. 'A bottle of metal cleaner,' he decided.

The night air was sweet, cool breezes shuffling the grasslands under the moon. Ace and Jan lead their horses down the ramp of the bulk flyer, a huge VTOL aircraft, towards the applauding Travellers, who were waving from around the bonfire.

'I want a word with you,' Ace said.

'I want to get you into my bed,' Jan grinned back.

Ace would have answered in similar fashion, but the Doctor appeared out of the crowd and took her arm. 'Sorry,' he mumbled. 'I know it's late. But now I know where my book is, it's vital that I go and find it.

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