Doctor Who Short Trips: The Solar System, Short Story Anthology by Gary Russell

Author:Gary Russell [Russell, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science fiction; English, Fantasy, General, Science Fiction, Doctor Who (Fictitious character), Fiction, Short Stories, Media Tie-In
ISBN: 9781844351480
Publisher: Big Finish

Evelyn watched in fascination as Ajay Thakrar and Tracie Wilson, working in perfect harmony, probed the circuits locking the door to the refinery. It was clear from the way they cooperated that they had been a team for a long time. Neither needed words and Tracie seemed to know which particular tool Ajay was going to require next almost before he himself did.

The journey to the refinery had been a fraught race against time. Section 37 was still depressurised and the two engineers had had to suit up and move through the service duct closing bulkhead doors as they went to maintain life support in the rest of the dredger. Eventually, they had reached the stricken area and sealed the external hatch so that the rest of the crew could pass through in safety. The entire journey had taken 22-and-a-half minutes but the threat of imminent death had stretched each second to infinity.

Ajay stood back with a flourish as the door to the refinery clanked open to reveal Leonello Felice standing there expectantly. 'What's going on,' he demanded. 'Where's Koop?'

'Koop's dead,' said David Nkoto curtly, clambering through into the refinery. 'Have you got a thruster primed and ready?'

'Yeah.' Leonello was taken aback. 'Why?'

'Because you're going to need it to get away from this ship before it blows up,' Evelyn told him.

'This way,' said Leonello as soon as David had confirmed Evelyn's story with a nod. He led the way through the tangled pipes and tubes.

Evelyn almost laughed out loud when she saw the small hatch that led into one of the tanks on the side of the cargo thruster. It was one of those round ones with a domed top, hinged at one side and with a huge locking wheel in the centre. It just seemed so low-tech, if that was the right term.

David started the automatic launch sequence, punching his security clearance code into the refinery's remote command console. Evelyn watched as the crew clambered one by one through the hatch and into the cargo thruster.

'Everything's ready,' said David. 'Automatic launch in just under three minutes. Corne on, MacKenzie, let's get aboard.'

'I have real reservations about trusting my life to a Corporation cargo thruster,' complained the helmsman. 'Look what happened to the last one!'

'Fine,' said David. 'Stay here and get smeared across Jupiter when the shields go down and the storm hits!'

Robbie MacKenzie, his face drained of all colour, was disappearing through the batch before David had finished speaking.

'Hey, where's Ajay?' asked David, looking around the refinery. 'He's not got aboard the thruster.'

'I haven't seen him since he opened the door,' realised Evelyn. 'You'd best get aboard before that rocket leaves without you.'

'What about you, Evelyn?' David asked, genuinely concerned.

'I'll find Ajay and meet up with the Doctor and Norma,' she told him firmly. 'If the Doctor can't save the ship, I'm sure we'll find some other way.'

'Okay,' said David eventually. 'Good luck, Evelyn.' He ducked through the hatch, swinging the cover into position as he went.

'And to you,' said Evelyn.

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